Checkmate
by Ageha Yume
Summary: Akashi Seijuro, a dangerous yakuza man who would do anything to get what he wants. His name's known throughout the underworld and everyone would cower in fear when they look into his heterochromatic eyes. Death is hardly new to him; he tends to be collected but Seirin overstep that boundary when they dared to take away his Tetsuya. That means war... And he was never merciful.
1. The First Checkmate

A certain redhead sat on his chair, legs crossed. With his hand, he tilted his teacup and parted his lips. He closed his eyes to savor the taste before slowly swallowing. Despite the constant loud gun shots around him, Akashi Seijuro still made time to have his tea. His face held no hint of fear. Instead, he appeared rather amused.

Entertainment. That was the purpose those impudent humans served for him. Everything turned out just as he predicted. Like a game of chess, Akashi had made the first move, and now it was his opponent's turn. Unfortunately for them, even before game officially began, everything had already been decided. It was pointless for the fight after all. The game reached checkmate the minute Akashi's enemies landed on his landmine.

Silence resounded throughout the room and Akashi smirked. Game over. Akashi flicked his fingers and knocked over the black king on the chess board.

The doorknob twisted open and a navy haired teen entered the room. His shirt and pants were bloodstained and stuck to his skin like leeches. Aomine opened his mouth, "Where do you want the corpse deposited?"

Akashi raised his eyebrow, "What do you think?" He found it very silly of Aomine to even ask him such a question. At this point, there was no need to even think about it.

"Forget I even asked," Aomine turned his back and began to walked away, but before he reached the doorway, Akashi reminded him to "get rid of the evidence."

Aomine waved his hand as his response. He stretched his back and mumbled, "Ugh, more work for me."

Akashi stood up and made his way to the basement where the captives were held. With every step he took, the heels of his shoes would clack.

He took out his keys and unlocked a specific cell. There was a click, and he stepped inside and surveyed the room. Good. It was still in the exact state as he remembered. He moved his eyes to the other person in the room. His eyes seemed to glow as he felt a sense of pride brew at the sight of what his men had accomplished. The victim sat tied to a pole at their back with chains. They were completely unconscious, but signs of struggle were evident, looking at the red marks around the victim's wrists and ankles. The victim's clothes are torn with slashes with blood seeping from them. They revealed a little of the captive's bra, Akashi noticed with a little disgust.

First, Akashi went up to her and ripped at her hair to signal that it was time to wake up. When the gentle method didn't work, Akashi reached for the bucket of salt water and mercilessly poured the contents over her head.

The victim howled in pain, but Akashi couldn't have cared less. When she didn't seem to stop screaming, Akashi slapped her across the face with his gloved hand. The glove was there to prevent him from touching filth directly.

"No..." She gasped out. "No matter what you do to me, our group will never surrender!" She looked up with a fierce look and bit her lip as the sudden movement trigger a sharp pain from her wounds.

"I hate disobedient dogs the most." Akashi reached inside his pocket and took out a cigarette. He lit it up and twisted the burning edge on her face. The woman desperately wouldn't let Akashi feel that he had won, so she kept herself from screaming, even though it hurt so much. A few tears streamed down her face as she tightened her fists and curled her toes.

"Why do you think I even kept you here?" Akashi continued to inflict pain with the cigarette on the woman's face. "You will be our hostage to lure the group's captain here."

"Hyuga won't fall for your trap!" She growled.

"Looks like you underestimate my sources. Why do you think I chose you specifically? I know you're Hyuga Junpei's lover and the tactician of the group. With you here, do you think your lover will be able to control himself and think rationally?" He tossed the cigarette, seeing as it was no longer fun. He reached for his pocket knife and flicked it open. He moved the sharp edge of the knife across her leg.

"No! Y-You monster! You inhumane beast! You-" She stopped as she felt the knife stab through her stomach.

"Aida Riko, give up your fruitless efforts and surrender," Akashi chuckled as he left Riko behind in a broken state.

/

Hyuga sat by his bed with his teeth biting into his flesh. It was a habit he developed during his childhood, and it always came back when he got frustrated.

"Riko, Riko, Riko. Please be safe! Please!" He chanted his lover's name like a mantra and hoped that his family would find news about Riko quickly. He snapped his head around when he heard the door open.

His friend, Kiyoshi Teppei, stepped in, and Hyuga rushed to his side. "Any news on Riko?" He asked anxiously.

Kiyoshi raised his cell phone as a response. "Listen to it."

Hyuga shakily reached for the phone and replayed the message:

"People of Seirin, I, Akashi Seijuro, have Aida Riko in my custody. If you want her back, you know what I want in exchange. A life for a life. You return Tetsuya to me, and you will have Riko back. If you so much as touch a single hair of Tetsuya, then expect Riko to suffer a hundred times worse. Your time limit is three days, before sunset. If you're late by even a second, there will be no mercy. All that'll be left will be to prepare a funeral. I'll meet you three days later at the usual place."

"Fuck!" Hyuga cursed as his shoulders shook with rage.

"Hyuga, what should we do?" Kiyoshi asked worriedly.

"... Give them Kuroko."

 _I'm sorry Kuroko, but Riko's more important._

/

Hyuga entered a secret room that one had to enter a set of passwords to enter. He looked at the bluenette with remorse. Guilt ate his heart as remembered the decision he was making to to sacrifice one of his family members for his lover. All members of Seirin are a part of the family. They sought comfort in each other and watched each others' backs.

Kuroko was the reason things had gotten to this point. Seirin and the Generation of Miracles were at war with each other because of a single person, and it all started few weeks ago...


	2. The Second Checkmate

Kiyoshi, Hyuga and Riko walked down the street in disguise to prevent others from recognizing them. Kiyoshi took out two ice cream packages and handed them out to the members of his family.

"Thanks," Hyuga said as he tore the package open and took out the fresh popsicle, immediately popping it into his mouth. The cold dessert cooled him down a few degrees, and suddenly the humid weather didn't bother him as much.

"So, King," Riko said as she addressed Hyuga with his nickname. This was another one of their ways of keeping their identities a secret in public. A few years ago, Seirin and its leaders made their debut, and their fame skyrocketed. They might not have been as famous as some other groups, however, fame wasn't what they were seeking. Fame did bring few advantages though. It was actually easier to get things done when smaller groups fear Seirin for their strength. "What's our next move?" Riko continued.

"We need to somehow find ways to earn money and pay back money that we owe. If the debt grows larger, things could become more problematic." He scratched his chin, thinking deeply. When Seirin had just started out, they had no money to build a base, so they ended up borrowing large sums from other generous groups. As time went by, they would repay what they could little by little. They were surprisingly clean for a group like theirs though. Kiyoshi was strongly against the use of drugs after the death of his parents, and with this, Hyuga agreed. Even though they were yakuza, they wouldn't stoop as low as others.

"So what do you suggest?" Riko teased as Hyuga laughed.

"That job is yours, Queen." Hyuga put his arm around Riko, bringing her closer.

"Wait," Kiyoshi spoke up and looked around frantically.

"What's wrong?" Hyuga questioned before cautiously looking around. Without saying anything, Kiyoshi ran off and strained his ears to catch the cry of help he heard. Kiyoshi was a very kind-hearted person. If there was someone in need, he wasn't capable of turning a blind eye and watching someone suffer. If he could make someone's life better, then it was worth the trouble. He heard the faint cry again and immediately ran in the direction it came from. Soon he found himself at the entrance of a back alleyway behind some closed shops. He walked into the alley to see a man throwing punches at a tied up bluenette. The man harshly aimed at the bluenette's face, making the younger male spit out blood.

"Stop!" Kiyoshi raised his voice and hastily took out this phone. "You make one more move, and I call the police." The man muttered profanities as he quickly ran away. Deeming it safe, Kiyoshi ran to the bluenette and united the knot around the wrists. "Hey, you okay?"

The bluenette looked at him and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out as he fell limp on Kiyoshi's chest.

"Joker, what happened?" Riko asked as she and Hyuga finally caught up to Kiyoshi.

"I'll explain later, we have to help him first. I want to make sure his wounds aren't serious." Kiyoshi only knew how to treat basic injuries. He was no expert in the medical field, so he hoped that there wasn't anything life threatening. Catching Hyuga's eye, he said, "I know. I won't bring him to our base."

Hyuga nodded and pointed to the nearest hotel. "Let's treat him there."

/

Kiyoshi chopped the lettuce and poured it in the pot. This was his daily routine now since he rescued the unconscious bluenette. He would always place food next to the teen, hoping the smell would lure the boy to wake up. So far, this plan had been unsuccessful. Apparently, the teen was hit on the head with such force that it knocked him out. The bruises still hadn't faded, but thankfully there wouldn't be any scarring.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard knocking at the door. He looked through the peep hole before he let the person on the other side in. "Thank you for your work, Furihata." Kiyoshi took some grocery bags from his friend and placed the supplies in the refrigerator.

"No problem!" He replied eagerly. Kiyoshi smiled at him before picking up his chopping knife. There was a moment of silence as Furihata walked over to the door that led to the bedroom. "Ano, is he awake yet?" Furihata asked as he poked his head inside. There was a daunting contrast between the teen's pale face and the dark sheets.

"Still unconscious," Kiyoshi answered as he went back to cooking.

"King wanted me to relay his message to you. He says it's time to leave the this guy to the staff at the hospital and that we can't afford for you to waste time anymore. Our rival is getting restless, and King is worried that they would attack. It's best to leave this guy somewhere safe and not get him involved in our affairs."

Kiyoshi looked down in thought. "Give me one more day. If he's still in the same state, then I'll leave him at the hospital." Furihata, after completing his mission nodded and left the room after Kiyoshi told him to be careful on the way home.

The bed creaked as Kiyoshi sat on the bed. "Hey, I really hope you can wake up today. If not, then I can't look after you anymore. It pains me to abandon someone in need, so please, at least wake up so I have a reason to stay." Silence arise and a part of Kiyoshi hoped that a miracle would occur. To his disappointment, nothing happened, and the boy's eyelids was still close shut.

Kiyoshi sighed as he closed the door behind him. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of blue eyes revealed themselves.

/

Shock was an understatement. Kiyoshi was all ready with cash in his pocket to pay for the hospital fee and yet, the man who he was supposed to carry to the hospital was awake on the bed. His chin dropped to the floor. It took a second, but after recomposing himself, he ran to the teen and asked, "How do you feel?"

The boy blinked and answered, "I'm fine. It's just my vision's still a little hazy after waking up... Um, who are you...?"

Kiyoshi laughed and said, "Can't believe I forget my manners. I'm Joker, nice to meet you!" He extended his hand for a handshake.

The boy hesitated but eventually returned the handshake and said, "I'm Kuroko, it's nice to meet you too. Um, why am I here?" Kuroko looked around in confusion. He last remembered being in an alley, getting beaten to a pulp.

"You collapsed, so I decided to help you and I've been taking care of you for seven days now. I was worried when didn't wake up and there was so much blood on the back of your head that I was scared you might have amnesia!" Kiyoshi exclaimed. Suddenly, his cheerful front disappeared and a serious one appeared. "Tell me what happened. I at least deserve to know why you were being beaten up."

Kuroko squirmed in discomfort and avoided Kiyoshi's gaze. "I'm sorry, I-I can't." He looked down at his hands as the blue hair framing his face covered his eyes.

"It's alright. When you're comfortable to share, tell me okay? It's better to let it out than keep it bottled up inside." Kiyoshi patted his back and left the bedroom, giving Kuroko some private space. He flipped his phone open and texted Hyuga the news.

To King:

Hyuga, the kid I've been taking care of has woken up. His name is Kuroko, and there seems to be a story behind what happened the other day. I understand that we're yakuza and shouldn't mingle with innocent civilians, but I really want to help him. He seems a bit unstable, like he's been traumatized or something. Don't worry though, I promise to cut all ties once his wounds heal. Regarding our rival, we should speed up the training for the youngsters to be safe. I think it's time for them to have their own weapons.

From Joker

/

Another three days flew by. Kuroko's bruises had healed, and the more severe injuries left only a yellowish hue. Kiyoshi had spent as much time with Kuroko as possible, cheering him on and bringing his mood up. One time, he even surprised Kuroko with puppets and performed a puppet show. Spending time with Kuroko made Kiyoshi feel younger than his real age.

Kiyoshi read through the contents of his laptop, which kept him updated on current events. Kuroko was reading a book Kiyoshi had picked up at the library in his room, but Kiyoshi kept the bedroom door open just in case. As he scrolled down the page, he froze and he snapped his head to the window, sensing a presence. He reached for the gun on his belt and took a step back. Suddenly, the window shattered and the shards flew in all directions. On instinct, Kiyoshi moved his elbow in front of his eyes to shield himself.

The loud thud of a body jumping onto the floor was heard and the newcomer said teasingly, "Iron Heart, I came to play." A tongue wet the surface of a pair of chapped lips before a breath blew away the smoke rising from the gun. The smoke cleared up, and light shined on the newcomer. The figure was revealed to be a toned male wearing a pair of glasses and a suit.

Kiyoshi gritted his teeth. "Imayoshi, what do you want?!" His fingers flicked off the safety on the gun, ready to fire at any given time.

"I heard you found yourself a toy and decided to see who caught Iron Heart Kiyoshi's heart." Imayoshi smirked as he moved toward the room where Kuroko was. "Wow, you've caught yourself a cutie!" Imayoshi's composure didn't falter even as he felt the butt of Kiyoshi's gun poking his head.

"Move," Kiyoshi threatened, eyes dark, "and I'll bust your head open."

"Try if you dare, Kiyoshi. Look at the cutie's face. What a lovely terrified face! Would you dare to kill me in front of him?"

Kuroko's eyes widened as he saw the two men with weapons and dangerous auras at the door.

Kiyoshi never wanted Kuroko see this. Those who were pure should remain that way to prove that this world wasn't completely rotten to the core. Only a few seconds of hesitation was enough to made Kiyoshi fall into Imayoshi's trap. Imayoshi ducked his head and used his leg to throw Kiyoshi off balance. Then, he twisted his leg around Kiyoshi's to bring him down completely. Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, he sitting on top of Seirin's Joker.

"You lose," Imayoshi said as he cocked the gun at Kiyoshi's head. "What should I do with you?" He he said in a sing-song voice. "Should I kill you? Yes, that sounds like a good idea! Goodbye, Iron Heart."

"No!" Kuroko threw himself at Imayoshi, and the gun flew out of his hand before landing a few feet from its owner. "You can't kill Kiyoshi-san!"

Thanks to Kuroko, Imayoshi's focus was shifted elsewhere, and Kiyoshi used this chance to turn the situation to his advantage. With a gun at his head, and no weapon to defend himself, Imayoshi raised both hands as a sign of surrender.

However, his smile didn't fade. "Kiyoshi, do you even know just who that cutie is? Oh boy, you're in for one hell of a ride if you've kept Kuroko by your side!"

Before Kiyoshi or Kuroko could respond, Hyuga and Riko suddenly rushed into the room, and Hyuga signaled his men to take Imayoshi away. With Imayoshi as their captive, Tōō should finally cease fire. Seirin had their captain in custody after all.

"Kuroko, who are you really?" Kiyoshi said seriously as he turned to the teen. The boy could only nod. He took a deep breath before he began his story.

/

Imayoshi sat in Seirin's prison, hands tied with a chain. He chuckled creepily. "All according to plan."


	3. The Third Checkmate

Kuroko twiddled fingers. "I'm going to be honest, I think it might be dangerous for me to stay here with you. To tell you the truth, the one who beat me was... my step-father. My father passed away in a car accident. After that night, my mother was heartbroken and turned to alcohol in get rid of the feeling. That's when my mother met my step-father. They hit it off with each other pretty quickly and eventually got married after a few months. At first things went well, and I got along with my new brother who's around the same age as me, but things started going downhill when step-father started wanting a child between him and mother.

Mother refused at first. She hadn't completely forgotten father and she wanted to preserve her body for father as a way to honor her first love. Also, mother was no longer young and being pregnant at her age would take a huge toll on her body. Step-father was displeased and desperately tried to persuade her, but they just got into a big argument. As things got more serious though, mother, not wanting to lose her second love, finally agreed and soon was pregnant.

My brother and I weren't sure about the idea of getting another sibling, since we were both only childs and don't know how to care for a baby, but eventually we gave in to the idea, and had fun preparing for our future roles as older brothers.

Mother reached her 9th month and her movements slowed down considerably. She always stayed in the bed, so the chores and cooking were left to us. Step-father during that time was in a crisis. He had shattered a rich man's diamond watch and also insulted him when he refused to pay. He was beaten up and a fine was placed on him. Step-father was furious. He absolutely refused to pay the money, and he attacked some men. This whole time though, he hadn't told mother anything. Then suddenly one day, debt-collectors came charging into our house. They told our mother about the situation and demanded for their money.

Mother was under stress, and went into labor then arrived at the hospital. I told step-father about the situation, but he never came. Soon, my little sister was born but since she was a premature baby, she had to stay in the hospital for few weeks to make sure everything was okay. Step-father didn't come home for a week and I was worried. But then one day, when I was out buying groceries, my step-father appeared and grabbed me by the wrist. He demanded I give him some money.

I asked him what was wrong, but he didn't answer me. Because he seemed to be in a dire situation though, I gave him all the cash I had on me. That pattern continued for some time and soon, I couldn't afford to give him anymore cash. Most of the money was used on the baby and, since step-father no longer came home and mom couldn't work, money became very limited. Step-father then turned to someone else. I'm not sure who it was, but he managed to borrow a huge sum of money and waste it on drugs. It was also then that I found out step-father had been fired by his boss because he was slacking and his attitude was displeasing to the customers."

Kuroko paused to swallow and breathe, his mouth feeling dry from talking for so long. As if reading his thoughts, Kiyoshi handed him a glass of water.

"Thank you." Kuroko took a few sips and continued, "Step-father never repaid his debt, so our family did it for him. By the time he came home, mother was furious at him. She said he was never there when our little sister was born and was never there when we needed him most. To add to that, he only cared about borrowing money without repaying it, regardless of the consequences. Mother kicked step-father out and told him to never come home again.

Step-father refused to go down though. He tricked my brother into opening the door after mother changed the lock, and once he was inside, he kidnapped our sister. Using her as a hostage, he threatened mother into giving him money, and mother weakly agreed. Once he got the money, he threw my sister on the floor and rushed out the door. Mother screamed when she saw blood pouring out from my sister's head. The wound was very serious, and because my sister was a premature baby, her body was very weak at two months old. Unfortunately, she passed away in the hospital."

Kuroko closed her eyes as the memories flooded his brain.

"Mother became very depressed. No matter what me or my brother said, she couldn't pick herself back up. She became a different person. She refused to eat, drink, or move. She became a lifeless doll. During our sister's funeral, mother wept helplessly and demanded God return our sister. Step-father came too, and mother slapped him repeatedly, yelling 'murderer' the whole time.

'I can't believe was so blind to marry you! Give her back! Give back my daughter!' those were her exact words.

From then on, my brother and I had to handle the burden of supporting the family. From time to time, father would take my money away without permission. One day I decided I'd had enough. I refused and was beaten up in return. That's the situation you saw me in." Kuroko finished with tears escaping his eyes. His grasp on the glass tightened.

He mouthed the words 'thank you' to Kiyoshi when he placed a comforting hand on Kuroko's back.

"Kuroko, I understand your situation. But that doesn't explain why keeping you by our side would be dangerous," Hyuga said as he crossed his arms. While he did pity Kuroko, these kinds of situations were very common in the underworld and were hardly anything new.

"Step-father borrowed money from a yakuza member," Kuroko answered.

"Who?" Riko leaned in, curious of this rich man's identity.

Kuroko shook his head, "I don't know."

"Kuroko, it's okay. We'll think of something to help your family. Maybe we can send your mother to a therapist," Kiyoshi said soothingly. Kuroko grasped his hands.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me, Joker-san. Even though I'm a complete stranger to you, you were still willing to sacrifice so much of your time for me. Thank you so much." Kuroko bowed his head, sitting on his legs.

"I'm just doing what I have to do. Come, you've been through a lot today, you need a proper rest." Kiyoshi ushered Riko and Hyuga out as Kuroko closed his eyes.

/

Kuroko stared around the room in wonder. Colorful pictures created by children were hung up on the wall, and there are many toys. The kids ranged from four to ten years old, and they all got along with each other. Laughter echoed through the room as the children chased each other.

Kuroko stared with awe at the liveliness of the kids. They were so energetic; it was hard to believe that they had never been outside before and that they were part of a yakuza group. After Kuroko retold his past, Riko explained to him what who they really were. But she assured him that even though they were yakuza, they would never harm others unless it was necessary. She also properly introduced everyone with their real names rather than their nicknames.

Kiyoshi brought Kuroko to their home base and introduced the kids they cared for. There were a total of 10 kids, and when you added the other members of their family, the yakuza family ended up being rather large. Hyuga suggested Kuroko stay low and not go outside for a while since their enemy knew his face.

"Hey, who are you?" A blue haired boy caught Kuroko's attention when he bumped into him by accident.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kuroko Tetsuya," He said politely.

"Kuroko, I'm the boss here. Since you're new, you have to listen to my orders. Your first order is to go get my apple juice," The kid said, puffing his chest out.

"Respect your elders, Hisao," A brunette teenager smacked the kid's head lightly.

"Baka baka, Furihata!" Hisao laughed and ran away, sticking out his tongue. He made his face like a pig's and snorted.

"That child." Furihata turned to Kuroko and said, "Sorry about that, Hisao's always been the troublemaker in our family. I'm Furihata Kouki, nice to meet you." Kuroko accepted his handshake and introduced himself.

"Oh!" Furihata exclaimed as he caught a glimpse of his watch. "I need to go help cook dinner."

"Ano, I can help if you want," Kuroko suggested.

"Really? That'll be helpful! Come!" Furihata guided Kuroko to the kitchen and they got to work. Kuroko watched Furihata work fluidly at a fast pace. While the water was boiling, he sliced the meat and drenched it with sauce. Kuroko realized that he must have worked in the kitchen for so time now to have been able to reach this level. Kuroko on the other hand, was embarrassed with his clumsy skills, and he winced as he looked at the shape of the white radishes.

Finally, they finished cooking, and the food along with the utensils were placed on the table. Kids hastily ran to the table, immediately dropping whatever they were doing before.

"Hey! Wash your hands!" Riko scolded. She brandished a large paper fan and smacked the walls next to the children who weren't fast enough.

"Riko-san, you shouldn't use violence on kids," Kuroko said with concern. At that size, being hit could really hurt, and Kuroko is against violence.

"I only use this to scare them, but occasionally, I use it to hit the troublemakers," Riko said as she helped one of the smaller ones get up on their chairs. The dinner went smoothly, and Kuroko introduced himself to the rest of the family. Some seemed okay with him being there, while others, mostly the kids, weren't pleased. But that was to be expected. After all, Kuroko knew what it was like to be told to live with a complete stranger, so he could understand where they are coming from.

The friendlier of the kids dragged Kuroko around, and while Kuroko did enjoy spending time with them, it was exhausting after it was over. Tired, he dragged himself to his new room and take a short shower. When he was done, his feet stepped out of the tub and slipped.

"Ow!" Kuroko banged his head on the tub, and looked down on what he slipped on. He touched the slippery surface and realized that it was hand soap. How did it all get spilled over the floor?

Massaging the bump on his head, Kuroko stood up and moved carefully so he wouldn't slip again, then reached into the basket for his clothes.

Nothing. Kuroko stared in confusion at the empty space where his clothes used to be. He blinked before opening the door, and even more questions popped into his mind because the door wasn't locked. Kuroko was positive he had locked it after entering.

How weird. When he walked into his room, he pulled the drawer open and freaked out. He only had few pairs of clothing and all of them had vanished. He looked all over his room and the clothes were still nowhere to be found. Kuroko opened the second drawer and closed his eyes immediately, his face beet red. The drawer was filled with women's lingerie.

With only one option, Kuroko decided to seek help from someone else. Thankfully, Furihata decided to pass by and check in on him and kindly gave him his clothes. After Kuroko was dressed, he asked what happened and Kuroko filled him in.

"It must be Hisao, he's the most troublesome kid here. I'll go talk to him." Furihata stood up and ignored what Kuroko tried to say about not seeking Hisao out.

"It's just a prank, there's no need to make a big deal out of this. It might not even be Hisao-kun." Kuroko grabbed Furihata's wrist just as he was about to enter the room of Hisao and three other children.

"No need to defend him, he needs to stop being disrespectful towards everyone he meets." Furihata twisted the doorknob open. "Hisao, why did you prank Kuroko?"

Hisao blinked and resumed playing on the board game.

"Hi-sa-o." Furihata drawled out, his patience decreasing.

"What?" Hisao rolled his eyes and slammed his piece on the floor. "What do you want?"

"Why do you prank Kuroko? Have he ever done something bad to you?" Furihata fumed, getting fed up with Hisao's attitude. "Look," he said pointedly as he showed Hisao the bump on Kuroko's head. "This is what you did to him. He was injured because of you? How far are you going to go until you're satisfied?!"

"THIS IS NOT MY FAULT!" Hisao pushed Furihata harshly to the ground and ran out. He looked back and yelled, "I HATE YOU!"


	4. The Fourth Checkmate

It's been one day since Hisao ran away. After that night, the truth was revealed and it turned out that the culprit was actually Arata. This blonde child could be considered Hisao's sidekick when it came to pranks, but this time however, Arata was the one who did the planning. Hisao was innocent.

Riko had angrily scolded Arata once she found out that he stole her undergarments. She murmured under her breath to get new locks and tighten the security around her room.

Kuroko volunteered to look for Hisao, but Riko prevented him from doing so. She told him Hisao would come out when he was hungry. He couldn't hide forever. Unfortunately, she was proven wrong as it was found that food was missing from the refrigerator, and that actually was Hisao's fault. It appeared that Hisao would steal food every night, forcing others to restock the food supply again more often. It angered Riko the most when Hisao stole more than what he can eat just to spite them.

Kuroko sighed as he walked down the hallway. He was worried about Hisao's well being, but he wasn't sure if going against Riko's words was the right decision. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes to rest for a bit.

However, he was startled when the wall behind him suddenly moved, causing him to trip backwards. He landed on his butt with a thump. Kuroko massaged his back as he looked behind him. The wall had separated into two halves moved backwards and shifted different directions. Steps of a staircase revealed themselves with dim lights from light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. The walls looked like they were made of old bricks, creating the atmosphere of a dungeon.

Kuroko was unsure about whether it was a good idea to invade a space that Seirin hadn't shown to him, not to mention exploring someone's base without permission was rude and disrespectful. Unfortunately, curiosity got the best of him and Kuroko proceeded to move forward.

On the journey down, the darkness gave him the creeps, and his shadow made it seem like some supernatural creature was stalking him. He shivered as the cold came into contact with his skin, so he rubbed his hands on his arms with the hope that the friction would gave him warmth.

He finally walked down the whole staircase and was met with a wooden door. The door creaked as Kuroko pulled it open. First he poked his head inside and then looked the room over from left to right. When nothing seemed out of the ordinary (aside from the existence of the room itself), he entered and asked, "Hello? Is anybody here?"

He faintly heard shuffling sounds and that confirmed that someone/something was indeed there. "Where are the lights?" Kuroko moved his hand over the wall to search for the light switch. When he eventually found it, he flicked it upwards.

The light bulb flickered to life and darkness was pushed back.

Kuroko courageously walked closer to the center of the room, visually searching every corner. What was he searching for? He had no idea himself, but a gut feeling told him that something else was there.

Kuroko stumbled when he accidentally stepped on a potato chip bag. The bag didn't have any mold or fungi, so it must have been placed there recently.

"Um, whoever you are, please come out. I mean no harm," Kuroko said, raising both hands above his head to prove his point.

There was a silence, but then Kuroko caught sight of a navy blue cardigan on a cushion laying on the ground. "Isn't this Hisao-kun's?" Kuroko remembered the last time he saw Hisao, the child was wearing this piece of clothing.

"Hisao-kun, I know you're here. Please come out." Only silence answered him, and Kuroko decided to use his last resort, seeing as the other party was too stubborn for their own good, "If you don't come out now, I'll call the others here and you'll be forced to come out then."

"Tch." Hisao crawled out from under the bed and lifted the bed sheets to get out. He stood up and dusted off the dust on his pants. "How did you find me?"

"I unintentionally found the secret passageway when I leaned on the wall. Here, aren't you cold?" Kuroko placed Hisao's cardigan on its owner.

"I don't need it!" Hisao threw the piece of clothing on the floor. "What do you want anyway? Just go back upstairs and pretend you never saw me and we'll all be happy!"

"Hisao-kun, everyone's worried about you. And living here isn't the best living environment to be in. You should go back to where you belong," Kuroko said worriedly.

"Why should I when all of you blame me for something I never did! Just because I'm a prankster, that doesn't mean I always want to mess with people! Not every bad thing that happens in this compound is my fault! Why are you guys so unfair!?" Hisao screamed and stomped his feet. He clenched his fist and punched the wall to vent his rage.

"Hisao-kun!" Kuroko immediately rushed to his side, trapping the boy to prevent him from doing further damage to his hands. "I understand your feelings about this prejudice, but I'm sure everyone regrets accusing you. Everyone has misunderstandings and it's important for us to fix them when they happen. Never speaking our feelings makes us look like cowards, and the misunderstanding never gets resolved."

Taking Hisao's hands, Kuroko continued, "Let's go where everyone is, okay? Everything will be fine, I'll be by your side the whole time we're up there."

Hisao's brain took a second to process everything Kuroko said, but eventually he gave a weak nod.

When they arrived in the dining room, Hisao just looked firmly at the floor without budging. Kuroko explained to them what happened and sent looks to Furihata that urged him to apologize to Hisao.

After apologies and explanations were traded, Riko hugged Hisao tightly. She incessantly repeated how much of an idiot Hisao was, but she was obviously relieved that he came back at the end.

Meanwhile, Kuroko watched everything with a smile and felt glad that the family reunited. Feeling that there was no longer any need for him to be there, Kuroko retreated back to his room when no one was watching.

/

Riko typed rapidly on the keyboard. Her eyes moved quickly across the screen behind a pair of glasses. Her eyebrows furrowed together as a huge error sign appeared. No matter what she did, she couldn't access the file she was looking at.

"Just who in the world are you, Kuroko? I can't find any information on you, and even your basic background information is blocked…" She chewed on her nails and tapped her foot as frustration began to get to her. It was her job to find information on the family's newest member to make sure that they weren't related to any problematic figures that might trouble for Seirin. In other words, if there was a possibility that the member might be a spy from another clan, then she would have to take precautions and eliminate that person.

"Wait, didn't he mention his family members when he told his life story? Maybe I can find information on him based on those details..." Nodding her head, Riko closed her computer. She walked out the door in search of Hyuga.

/

"Hyuga, what do you think about this?" Riko started as she addressed the situation.

Seirin's leader tapped his fingers against the table, "Whoever is behind this is definitely a more talented a hacker than you, and that's really saying something. It's safe to suspect that maybe one of the better known hackers like Moriyama, Takao, or Himuro might be the culprit behind this. Maybe if we monitor their hacking patterns, we might get a clue as to how to decode it? But let's not get too over ahead of ourselves; Kuroko might not be related to any mafioso."

"Right," Riko nodded.

"Let's turn in for the night. It's getting late. Come here," Hyuga motioned Riko with his finger and Riko willingly obliged.

As they both lay on the bed, Riko hoped that Kuroko wasn't related to any Seirin enemies. She really wanted to be able to trust their newest member. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and decided she should sleep now to prepare for tomorrow.

Tomorrow, a whole lot of questions and answers would be needed, and there was no doubt that after the ordeal, she would be tired. Doubting a member of the family was never a pleasant feeling.


	5. The Fifth Checkmate

"Kuroko, would you like to see your family?" Riko asked suddenly, locking her eyes with Kuroko's.

Kuroko blinked and his spoon down on his plate. "That's a little sudden. What brought this up?"

"I figured you would want to spend some time with your family after being away for sometime. They must be worried," Riko reasoned as she observed Kuroko's reaction closely. She was planning to use this opportunity to get more details on Kuroko's background since she was getting so frustrated with how hard it was to find basic info on him.

"I'm okay with it but wouldn't it be too dangerous for me to go outside?" Kuroko questioned as he recounted Hyuga's words during their first interaction.

"You'll be fine! I'll protect you, so rest assured," Riko immediately replied as if she had an answer for every question Kuroko might bring up.

"I see, then please excuse me," Kuroko straightened the dishes and placed them in the sink before exiting the dining room. Riko looked toward Hyuga and nodded.

"Don't worry, Hyuga. Leave everything to me," Hyuga knew that Riko wouldn't want him to worry like a mother hen so he gave in. This wasn't the only thing that gave Hyuga an incredible headache either. Imayoshi, to this day, still refused to agree to a treaty between the two clans. Hyuga really wanted to end this unnecessary fight, and he didn't know what they had done to irritate Imayoshi and his clan so much that they refused to compromise.

Yakuza groups tended to work independently as a clan and didn't often mingle with other clans. Although partnerships between clans weren't unheard of, they were just unusual. As long as other clans didn't interfere with their business, both parties would be friendly with each other. Hyuga was seriously at his wit's end. Just what had his group done to make Imayoshi so against them? Or maybe that was just Imayoshi's personality and this had nothing to do with personal grudges at.

He'd thought that with their captian at Seirin's grasp, Tōō would ceasefire too. However, the opposite happened and Tōō continued to attack incessantly. Just the other day, Hyuga had sent one of his best men, Kagami Taiga, to the battlefield to confront Tōō and hopefully make a treaty. Instead, Tōō immediately fired and if Kagami haven't dodged the upcoming bullets in time, he would had been seriously wounded. Right now, he was currently resting in the base, immobolized due to the injuries on his legs.

And now Hyuga's girlfriend wanted to go out despite what was happening outside. It wasn't like Riko couldn't defend herself, in fact, all Serin members, including children, knew at least basic defensive and offensive moves. Riko knew how to act carefully when fighting and would always plan ahead before charging in the battlefield. But in spite of all that, Riko was a girl, and as her boyfriend, Hyuga couldn't help but worry.

Therefore, he sent Furihata out to silently follow Riko and Kuroko and aid them when needed.

The next day, Riko and Kuroko walked out the base, and along the way, neither bother trying to make a conversation. There was no need for it, and there weren't any topics they could discuss anyway.

They finally arrived at a broken down house that looked like no one was living in there. With a gentle push, they both entered the house and took off their shoes before slipping on some slippers.

"This way," Kuroko directed. Riko couldn't help but notice the small details of the house like the broken pots and cracked ceilings. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a mouse scurrying past her.

"Here," Kuroko said. He opened the door, and Riko saw a wrinkled woman staring off to space. In her hands, she held a pair of baby clothes and murmured words under her breath.

"Excuse me, are you Kuroko's mother?" Riko tried and the woman acted as if she wasn't there.

"Mother wouldn't respond no matter what," Kuroko sighed and tucked the blanket around his mother. He picked up a bowl of soup by the stool and fed his mother with care.

"Where's your brother?" Riko asked, looking around.

"Probably working," He answered without looking. "Mother, there's only a fourth of the soup left. Try to finish it, okay?" Kuroko sounded like a mother talking to their child, when in reality, their roles were reversed. It showed just how much the past had impacted Kuroko's mother and reduced her to this state.

Now Riko felt bad and couldn't believe she had doubted Kuroko. There's no way such a caring and kindhearted person would be an evil guy. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No need, Riko-san. You're our guest." Kuroko quickly cleaned the dishes in the sink and boiled some water to make tea.

"Kuroko"

"Yes?"

"Where are you born?" Riko questioned.

"Tokyo, why?" Kuroko looked up with curiousity.

"No reason." She coughed and changed the topic," By the way, when will your brother be coming home? It's getting late." Her phone told her that it is 5:35pm.

"I'm not sure. His schedule changes everyday. Sometimes he comes home at 7, other times at 11. It really depends."

While Kuroko sat and spoke to Riko, Furihata watched from the window and followed their movements with his binoculars. He looked around the house and deemed nothing suspicious. He also kept an eye on the people who passed by the house. Someone specific caught his eye.

Since the person was walking fast, Furihata couldn't see him clearly, but Furihata couldn't help but look at him and momentarily forgot his duties. He turned the knob on his binoculars to get a better look and his heart quickened its pace when the person looked in his direction for a second.

Was it a coincidence? Or did he know that Furihata was there? Furihata shook his head. It must have been the second option. There was no way that person would notice him from this distance...

"Damn," He slapped himself with both hands to get rid of unwanted thoughts and went back to focusing on the duo in the house. He looked back through the window and saw that they weren't there.

"Oh no." Furihata immediately ran to the house and knocked on the door. _Oh my God, this happened because of my careless mistake... Please, let them be safe._

He sighed in relief as the door opened, but his facial expression didn't stay relieved for long. Before he could mutter a word, his mouth and nose were covered with a chloroform soaked rag, and darkness blinded him.

Kuroko and Riko were actually both in the basement, cleaning up because there are some dust gathering in the corners. They both looked up when they heard some noises from the floor above and rushed upstairs. When they arrived at the scene, there was only an open door and a broken window.

"What happened?" Riko asked incredulously. Kuroko wondered the same.

/

"What?!" Hyuga shouted as he stood up in shock.

"Furihata hasn't come home for three hours now, even though Riko and Kuroko are already back," Kiyoshi calmly repeated although his facial expressions are tense.

Hyuga massaged his temples, trying to figure out their next step. Who was the enemy this time? Tōō? Or another clan?

"No use trying to find answers ourselves. Let's pay a visit to Imayoshi," Hyuga decided and Kiyoshi nodded. The two immediately walked to the cell and saw Imayoshi in the same position he was in when Seirin tied him up.

"Imayoshi, what is Tōō planning? As the leader, you must know their motives," Kiyoshi said.

Imayoshi merely chuckled, "What gave you the idea that I know anything? True, I'm the leader, but do you think I can control their movements when I'm not within their reach?" He raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to the leader of Seirin's right hand man.

"Don't tell me something happened to one of your men?" He said with mock disbelief. His smirk grew bigger as he watched their reactions, and he knew he'd hit the bullseye.

"Never knew Seirin was so shameless, blaming others for something that happened because of their carelessness."

Hyuga grinded his teeth.

Imayoshi continued, "Guess the age of Seirin is soon coming to an end."

Hyuga clenched his fists. This bastard...

"Such a pity and you guys just started."

"You-" Hyuga would have charged right up to Imayoshi and beat him up if Kiyoshi hadn't been holding him back.

"Hyuga!" Kiyoshi reminded with anger, "Don't fall for his trap! Calm down!"

"Damn you! Imayoshi Shoichi, don't think this is over! I'll find out what you're planning and I won't let you get away with it! Just you wait!" Kiyoshi dragged his friend away and used his strength to prevent his friend from doing anything he might regret later on.

"I'm so bored of this game... How long do I have to pretend to be a captive?" Imayoshi said to no one. "Hurry up and come, my soldiers."

/

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	6. The Sixth Checkmate

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* * *

The feel of the cold ground and the chilly air made Furihata shiver. It had been a while since he regained his consciousness, yet he still didn't have the strength to move around yet. It didn't help that he was tied up with hands bound behind his back.

He tried to break free, but it was a futile attempt, and his action only created more injuries on his wrist. Eventually he gave up on struggling and opted to conserve his energy instead.

In the darkness, Furihata couldn't make out where he was, so he strained his ears for some kind clue. Nothing.

Finally, beams of light creeped into the room, and Furihata squinted his eyes in discomfort. He looked up, and in came a brunette who Furihata recognized as Sakurai Ryo, a member of the renown Tōō clan. Sakurai is known as a critically delusional self-blamer who says "sorry" to everything, even his own existence. But despite his frail appearance and weak aura, Sakurai was a strong assassin who specializes in poison. Having been exposed to various poisons over long periods of time, Sakurai became immune to them, and is thus very capable of defeating his opponents singlehandedly. He favors poison darts, but his techniques in mixing poison with various objects was endless.

Next to Sakurai were a few members of the Tōō clan, or at least that's what Furihata assumed. He sat up, carefully observing his surroundings with the bare mininum of light that streamed into the room.

"We want our leader back, sorry!" Sakurai shouted apologetically.

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Furihata responded sternly. "Seirin wishes to seek peace, but Tōō continues to battle against us. Unless you guys sign the peace treaty, we won't return your leader."

"Then we have no choice but to use you as our hostage in exchange for our leader, sorry!"

Furihata glared, "Such a low and dirty move. Just why can't you guys accept our efforts and agree to a peace treaty? Why must you fight and suffer causulties over and over again?!"

Sakurai didn't respond, mouth tightly shut. He looked to his comrades and silently ordered them to act. They nodded and advanced towards Furihata, holding a tray of syringes that contained an odd color of liquid.

Furihata immediately inferred that the liquid must be something poisonous and definitely would have some effect on his body, so once the men got close enough to him, Furihata hastily swiped his legs under the men's knees, hoping to knock them over.

Unfortunately, his plan failed as one of the man grasped his legs while the other quickly injected the liquid into his arm.

Furihata continued to struggle despite the nauseous feeling that was beginning to overtake his system. He latched onto one of the men and bit down harshly, making sure to draw blood.

However, his act of defiance didn't last long. Soon, a stinging feeling numbed his face, and the pressure moved his face sideways.

Before Furihata could mutter a word, he felt a strong pain in the back of his neck.

As his eyesight was quickly blinded by darkness, he vaguely heard Sakurai saying, "I'm sorry", before he blacked out once again.

/

Kuroko watched members of Seirin pace around the room. Some were thinking calmly, while others weren't taking the news quite so well. A letter had arrived for Seirin. It read:

Seirin,

We have captured Furihata as our hostage. If you wish for him to return to you, then come to the 7th dock tomorrow at 12am sharp.

-Tōō

The letter had a Tōō insignia stamped onto it, which was enough to prove that it was indeed from their enemy. Hyuga, being the impatient one of the group, wanted to instantly charge right up to the designated area despite the fact that there was a high chance of it being a trap. Kiyoshi and Riko rejected his decision, believing that they should think about this longer and shouldn't do anything rash.

This was definitely a difficult decision to make and even Kuroko was torn between the two sides. It was already 10:54, and Hyuga had insisted that the longer they waited, the more danger Furihata would be in. Riko had countered that they needed a fool-proof plan to ensure that there would be minimal risk involved and that being hasty would only lead to negative consequences.

Kuroko looked at the two sides with hesitation, but managed to gather a little courage and said, "Ano, wouldn't it be better if we went to rescue Furihata-san with a couple of the stronger fighters? That way, everyone else can help guard the base while the others go to the docks. I understand that there's a big risk, but we really don't have a choice here..."

"But Kuroko-" Riko tried to argue, but she was intercepted by Hyuga.

"Riko, we have to do this. I'm not going to let Furihata die, and I'm sure everyone here agrees." Hyuga looked at each member directly. "We're a family and families support each other through thick and thin."

Riko wants to protest, but the words died out when she noticed the burning fire of determination in Hyuga's eyes. She relented. "...Alright."

Hyuga nodded in acknowledgement and appreciation. The group headed for the docks was formed, and they went on their way.

Kuroko walked to his room and took out a hidden envelope from his jacket. Using a pocket knife, he ripped open the edge of the envelope and read the letter inside.

"Kise-kun..." Kuroko bit his lips and came to a decision. When nighttime had fallen upon the town and Seirin had gone to sleep, Kuroko rose from his bed and left his room with careful and silent steps. He traveled down the hall and turned the corner, only to jump back in surprise when Hisao suddenly popped up into view. Kuroko let out a gasp and his heatbeat quickened. "H-Hisao-kun, you scared me. What are you going so late?"

"Hehe," Hisao grinned and leaned in closer to whisper his secret. "I was headed to the refrigerator for a midnight snack. And what about you? Why are you here?"

"Uh... I'm going to the bathroom," Kuroko answered with uncertainty.

"Okay..." He knew that the bathroom was in the opposite direction, but he shrugged it off and figured that that was just Kuroko's lack of familiarity with the base. He simply pointed Kuroko in the right direction and walked away.

When he was sure that Hisao was gone, Kuroko sighed deeply and continued walking in the direction he had been walking in originally.

Kise had been one of his closest friends since childhood, and on the day Kuroko had been out with Riko, he'd found Kise's letter to him. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to read it until now. Kise had asked to meet at the park where the two had first met, and Kuroko had to meet him that night, or else the chance might never come again. He doubted Seirin would let him out of the base again after the kidnapping of Furihata, so Kuroko had to resort to this. The faster he reassured Kise on his safety, the less anxiety there would be for the both of them.

Kuroko reached the end of a hallway on the second floor of the base. He quietly opened the door the furthest on the right and shut it behind him as he walked into the rarely used room. He looked out at the window situated on the far wall. This window was the only safe escape route, but the problem was Kuroko was too short to reach it. He looked around with sharp eyes and his gaze landed on the chair a short distance away.

He grabbed the chair quickly, along with few old books. Stacking the books on the chair, Kuroko then stood on top of the books and wobbled a little before finding his balance. He stood on his tip-toes and reached for the window. He breathed a sigh of relief and managed to open it. He pushed himself up but froze when a loud thump resounded behind him.

He peeked over his shoulder and noticed that one of the books had dropped on the floor. His eyes darted back and forth, but his beating heart calmed itself when he heard no footsteps coming towards him.

Turning back to the window, Kuroko continued to push himself up and squirm through the frame, then jumped out, landing in the grass. From there, he ran.

/

Riko knocked on the door and frowned when no one answered. She knocked once more before giving up and simply opening the door. She was greeted with the sight of Kuroko in a deep sleep. Even though his face was covered by blankets, his bed hair stuck out like a sore thumb.

Riko giggled and tried to tame her laughter, but to no avail. Thankfully, Kuroko didn't wake up, and Riko left with the door closed tightly.

Interesting bedhair, she thought as she walked away, but her happiness disappeared as she thought of what was to come. It was just about time to rescue Furihata. Despite everything, there was a heavy weight in her heart. She had a bad feeling about this...

/

Hyuga, Kiyoshi, Izuki, Mitobe, and a couple other Seirin fellowers hid behind a gigantic steel box, looking back over their shoulders occasionally. Using a small mirror, Seirin checked to make sure that nothing was suspicious before deeming the area safe to enter.

Hyuga motioned with his hand and his men followed him in a straight line. He signaled his men to crouch so they wouldn't be easily noticed.

At last, they arrived at a clear space devoid of any objects hindering their view. All objects except for some members of Tōō and Furihata, who was laying unconscious and face down on the ground.

With nothing to hide, Hyuga stepped out of his hiding spot and the rest followed the suit.

Wakamatsu snickered, "About time." Susa nodded in agreement.

"What do we have to do to get Furihata back?" Kiyoshi asked bluntly, obviously understanding Tōō's motives.

"I think a broken arm from lil' eagle there would suffice," Wakamatsu said smugly, wanting to see Izuki suffer. He'd still held a grudge against Izuki ever since they had a duel a few years ago and Izuki tricked him into making a fool out of himself in front of an audience.

Hyuga, being the hot-headed one, wanted to retort, but Izuki shot his arm in front of Hyuga, silently telling him to cool down.

"I accept," Izuki said, and one of Tōō's men came forward and grabbed Izuki's elbow with no hesitation and twisted it with such force that a bone-cracking sound was heard.

Izuki gritted his teeth but said nothing as he held his elbow in pain.

"Are you happy now? Give Furihata back to us!" Hyuga shouted furiously.

"Chill, I'm not done with the request yet. I want you, Seirin's captain, to bow down to us and, as a bonus, do slap yourself on the cheeks fifty times," Wakamatsu added cheekily. Wakamatsu wasn't above humiliating anyone else from Seirin, especially not their leader, but really what he wanted was for Seirin to submit to Tōō

Hyuga's jaws tightened, determined despite having his pride being trampled all over. He raised his hand and slapped himself, not hesitating.

Time passed and as Hyuga's cheeks turned red and bruised. He stopped when he reached fifty and breathed, "Fulfill your side of the bargain now."

Wakamatsu glanced at his comrades and they all reached a consensus. They couldn't drag their request longer or else things would go badly. They knew that they could ask for Imayoshi's release now, however, they had orders from the higher ups, and it seemed that they had other plans for Seirin. Wakamatsu and the others couldn't go against their orders, they could only watch everything play out.

"He's all yours." And with that, Wakamatsu and the rest of the Tōō members quickly ran from the scene.

Immediately, as if Seirin had practiced this move, they ran to Furihata at the same time. Hyuga turned Furihata over and froze.

What was in front of them wasn't Furihata but a human dummy, a replacement for the brunette.

"FUCK!" Hyuga slammed his fist on the ground with fury. Hyuga whipped his head around to see if the Tōō members were still within view, but then there was a loud bang and something ripped through the air in front of him. Suddenly, a mop of black hair blocked his view as Mitobi slumped against him.

Kiyoshi caught a glimpse of a uniform on a retreating figure. They bore a familiar insignia that didn't belong to Tōō, and yet familiar as it was, Kiyoshi couldn't quite put his finger on where he'd seen it before.

"Oi Mitobe!" Cold sweat gathered on Hyuga's forehead as he noticed a red spot on Mitobi's shirt rapidly growing larger in size.

Mitobe let out a weak smile and signed some words with his hands. Unfortunately, Hyuga couldn't grasp everything as his knowledge in sign-langauge was very limited. If only Koganei had been there, he could've helped translate...

"You're going to be fine Mitobe, I know you are." Though Hyuga's words were said as much for himself as for his injured subordinate. Kiyoshi ripped a piece of his shirt off and wrapped it around the wound, pressing down on the injury to stop the bleeding.

"This is no good... We need to bring him back to the base immediately." Kiyoshi swung Mitobe's arms around his neck and lifted him. Without looking back, Kiyoshi traveled as fast as he could with a heavy weight on his back. From time to time, he would peek behind to make sure that Izuki was with them and wasn't slowing down as a result of his injury. Kiyoshi quickened his pace as he noted that Mitobe's breathing was becoming uneven and irregular.

At long last, Seirin departed from the dock.


	7. The Seventh Checkmate

Furihata groaned softly. His limbs felt light and weightless, almost as if he was floating. His muscles felt relaxed, and this comfortable sensation was rather welcome after Furihata's experience with Tōō and the toll it took on his body. He would always get a headache whenever he and Seirin faced their enemies. Not only was it tiresome and exhausting to deal with the group of people repeatedly, but it was also traumatizing to witness bloodshed.

As members of the mafia, witnessing bloodshed was a regular occurrence and inescapable fate. However, it was still never a pleasant sight. Death could never cease to be torture to the living. Some thought that death was the only way to end to truly settle things, but in Furihata's mind, death was a sign of more deaths and pain to come. Death, the way he saw it was part of a never ending cycle of hatred that didn't appear to be stopping any time soon.

Furihata hated seeing crimson splattered all over the place and smelling the distinct metallic odor that always seemed to linger in the air. At times, Furihata felt that blood stuck to him and followed him, even if he wasn't the one to deal the final blow. The images of pleading victims always stuck in his mind, and they were often the cause of his nightmares, which tortured him incessantly.

These negative thoughts were washed away as Furihata felt warmth radiating around him. He buried his face deeper into the material in response. If only every day could be this relaxing, how nice would that be? Days without violence or murder, days where he could be carefree all the time...

Of course Furihata had considered quitting his occupation as a yakuza member, but then he would be reminded of the reason he hasn't already done so.

Kiyoshi.

If it wasn't for him, Furihata wouldn't even be alive. If it wasn't for Kiyoshi taking time to look after and nurture Furihata, then he wouldn't have become the person he is today. He would still be the weak and powerless Furihata who was never willing to speak and kept everything bottled up inside. If it wasn't for Kiyoshi, he would still be a puppet, free for anyone to control.

Suddenly, he heard a chuckle vibrate beside his ear. He was snapped out of his relaxed musings. This wasn't right. He was supposed to be in a cold cell, facing Tōō. He opened his eyes and saw a mop of purple-hair. The person he was looking at was wearing light and casual clothes.

Furihata realized his situation panicked, looking around rapidly at his surroundings. There were a bunch of trees and bushes, a dirt and rocky path below them, and barely any sign of any human life (though he did catch few animals moving around). Furihata then looked back at the person carrying him on their back and came to a thousand different conclusions. He automatically assumed the worst and discreetly reached into his pocket, searching for his hidden weapons.

He cursed inwardly when he couldn't find what he was looking for. Should he choke the person who was carrying him? Furihata gulped as he pondered this question. Better play safe than sorry.

He slowly extended his arms and reached for the person's neck so he wouldn't startle the man in front of him. He was very close to wrapping his fingers around their neck, and just when he thought that he would succeed, the other person spoke.

"I suggest you stop what you're about to do." There was a hint of humor that laced the person's voice.

"And If I don't?" Furihata retorted.

The man turned his head to face Furihata. "Think carefully before you act," were his words of advice.

It was like that gaze was able to penetrate deep into Furihata's very core, almost as if the man in front of him could tell what exactly Furihata was thinking. That gaze sent chills down his spine and make goosebumps travel all over his body.

Furihata gulped, but he couldn't help but feel that the man looked oddly familiar...

And then it struck him: Furihata had seen him when he was watching over Riko and Kuroko!

Why is he here?

"You..."

"You should thank me instead of turning hostile, you know? I'm the one who saved you after all," he continued, still carrying Furihata on his back.

"Huh?" Furihata questioned with a confused look.

"Obviously you wouldn't remember, but I was the one who carried you all the way from the dock. I am rather curious about why you were there though. That section of the docks had been abandoned for a while now. Hardly anyone goes there anymore."

Was he just someone who coincidentally passed by there? "P-Put me down already!"

"You sure?" The person asked coyly. Nevertheless, he placed Furihata down on his feet.

In turn, he rubbed his back and stretched. "Carrying you this far wasn't easy."

Furihata blushed at the subtle implication that he was heavy. "Then you didn't have to carry me! No one asked you to anyway! You're the one who just had to go and be a _gentleman_!"

The person raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, no need to get agitated. By the way, I'm Masato Aikawa. That's written with the kanji for the words 'just' and then 'constellation.' Nice to meet you."

Furihata laughed. The name doesn't suit the other male, "You actually have 'justice' in your name?"

"Yes. And because I am a man of justice, I need to save those in need, no?" Masato raised an eyebrow teasingly. He received a slap on the shoulder in return.

/

After several minutes of walking, the two came to a cottage situated somewhere in the woods. Obvious cracks and holes in the cottage walls made Furihata question whether or not this place had been abandoned. The paint on the housing wasn't sticking too walls anymore, and it was peeling off in chunks, making the cottage look utterly unappealing. Moss and shrubs grew on the edges of the cottage, forming a considerable green border at its base, attracting various insects to buzz around the cottage. And Furihata was no friend of insects; simple put, he detest them.

Masato strolled straight into the cottage and Furihata whispered, "Hey, is it really okay to come in here?"

"Of course. I own this cottage," he replied confidently.

"Really?" Furihata asked in disbelief, but still followed Masato nonetheless.

The interior of the cottage was suprisingly clean and the complete opposite of the exterior. It looked like Masato actually did clean the house to make it look presentable to others. There were a few pieces of furniture around the room, and they created a warm and comfy atmosphere.

Furihata sat on the chair with a huff and examined the room more closely. While the room itself wasn't magnificent or extraodinary, the simple yet nice designs made it seem like a proper place to live in. The walls were white and only had one painting hanging on the wall, making it look rather lonely. On the far side of the room, there lay a single bed covered in a simple light grey sheets with a small drawer beside it and a little window above it. The top of the drawer had a couple of books scattered across the drawer in a disorganized manner. The window opened smoothly, tested by Furihata, making the surrounding woodland air easily accessible to the residents of the cottage.

"How do you like it?" Masato asked as he handed Furihata a cup of tea.

"It's... okay," Furihata nodded to himself, eyes constantly wandering around the room but traveled back to Masato. "Is it really okay for me to be here? I don't want to be bother... I really should go back. My family must be worried sick about me."

Masato grabbed Furihata's hand, "I can't let you go yet. Stay here for a few days and I'll sent you back later. Let me fulfill my responsibility as the one who decided to take care of you. Staying here for a few days can't hurt, after all."

Furihata was wavering and Masato knew it. "Alright, since you so desperately want me to stay."

/

Furihata chuckled and shielded his face in order to prevent the incoming water from entering his eyes. Somehow the simple task of watering the yard had turned to a childish game that the two adults had gotten caught up in.

Furihata was completely soaked to the bone, but that hardly mattered. It was almost like he had gone back to a simpler time. A time before he had to get used to the fact that he would have to kill for the sake of his family. It made his life feel just a little brighter, and he couldn't be more grateful for that.

Masato wasn't in a much better state, granted he was currently on the offense rather than the opposite and it was pretty clear to the both of them who would be the winner of this little competition.

"I give up! I give up!" Furihata exclaimed, though his words are unheard or ignored by Masato. In the process of trying to escape from the water sprouting from the hose, Furihata ran to the corner of the cottage in an attempt to enter the house, thinking he'd be safe if he did so. Of course, Masato quickly figured out his plan and immediately took action by speeding up and pulling Furihata back. He caused the brunette to lose his balance, which in turn ended up pulling Masato to the wall as well.

Masato hovered over Furihata and the brunette blushed when he noticed their proximity. He instantly pushed Masato away in order to save his dignity and to prevent the other from noticing his embarrassment. "I think that's enough. Let's go back now...?"

Masato frowned at the obvious rejection, but he complied nonetheless.

"Here," The purple-haired male said as he handed the brunette a towel to dry himself off.

"Thanks," Furihata humbly accepted it, though it was very clear that the previous incident was still on his mind. He pretended that he didn't notice Masato's intense stare as he dried his hair.

Furihata wasn't dense, and he knew what Masato wanted. However, Furihata was weak in terms of emotional stability, and romantic affection was something very unique and almost fragile to him. He had never felt anything like this before, and the idea of loving another person romantically scared him. Trying new things could be a good thing, but Furihata didn't like uncertainties. Romance was an unpredictable thing.

Take his deceased parents for instance. Their relationship wasn't working well and maybe it was because they weren't compatible. The two had decided to separate in order to give their partner some space in hopes that some breathing room might bring back the peace of the past. While Furihata thought that was the best solution to their failing relationship, the consequences fell into a chain reaction.

During their period of separation, his parents had both found another lover, and it was surprising how fast they moved on after only being apart for only about a week. Furihata's parents divorced and Furihata ended up being shipped to an orphanage since neither of his parents nor any of his relatives were willing to let him stay with them.

In his dictionary, change was rarely positive, and Furihata was willing to do whatever he could to protect his emotional stability. But now Masato was trying to change Furihata, and this deeply ingrained his belief, so of course Furihata's first reaction was rejection. Maybe he'd be willing to change in the future, but for now, it was more safe to let things continue the way they were going rather than than try to disrupt that peace that he had grown so accustomed to.

"Furihata," Masato started as he tried to reach out to the brunette.

Furihata dodged the topic and stated, "I'm completely soaked, so I'm going in to take a shower..." And just like that, he left the room without giving Masato a chance to speak.

/

Night had fallen over the house, and Furihata laid on the bed, while Masato rolled out the futon. They were quiet for a while, and eventually, they both rolled on their backs, staring at the ceiling. It was Masato who spoke first.

"Furihata, you and I both know what these feelings are, so I really don't understand why you keep rejecting me. Can't you see that you're hurting me and yourself as well?" Masato looked toward where Furihata layed, but he only saw Furihata's back.

Furihata didn't respond but Masato knew his words are heard by the brunette.

Masato sat up and took the brunette's hand in his own. "Furihata, do you trust me at all? I believe that we can make this work somehow. Of course, I'm not guaranteeing that things will always be happy and perfect all the time, but I feel that if we truly love each other, any and all hardships can be conquered."

"But what if later on you find that you don't really love me, then what?" Furihata whispered softly.

"Then we'll try to reach a consensus and make it work. I'm being sincere with you. I want to be in a relationship with you and I want to make you happy. Won't you give me a chance?"

Furihata turned to him and observed his honest expression. After thinking things thoroughly, he gave in and nodded meekly.

/

Furihata expressed his gratitude when Masato handed him a bowl of soup, but when he took a sip, he immediately spit it out. Even so, there was an bitter earthy and nutty taste that lingered in his mouth.

"What is that?" Furihata asked, disgusted as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Now don't go wasting food here. This spice is especially good for your body," Masato said patronizingly.

"But it tastes weird..."

"Not all healthy food tastes great. Come on, finish up."

Furihata tried to convince Masato to let him off using his best his puppy dog eyes, but he failed miserably. He swallowed hard to mentally prepare his mind and stomach before shakily opening his mouth and drinking the concoction before him.

After he finished the soup, Masato handed him more to finish. By the end of this meal, Furihata could barely move, though he did feel a surge of energy course through his veins.

/

"Masato, I really need to get back home. My family must be really worried..." Furihata was reluctant to part from his new lover, but Seirin was no doubt worrying over his safety since they had no way of knowing that he had been rescued. It had been over a week since he was rescued, but because of the fun he'd been having, Furihata had completely forgotten about Seirin. When he finally remembered, guilt tore his heart like a savage dog.

"Can't you stay just a little longer...?" Furihata shook his head regretfully.

"I see." Masato looked dejected and Furihata wanted to cheer him up somehow.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to come visit you whenever I can!"

"Yeah, I know... Want me to send you back?" Masato asked as he opened the door.

Furihata shook his head. "No need. I'll be fine by myself."

Masato looked disappointed but still, he wrapped his arms around Furihata and pecked his forehead lightly. "Have a safe trip, my love." With that, Furihata waved his hand in a guesture of goodbye as he walked off into the distance.

On his journey home, Furihata found himself vomiting several times throughout the day. Nevertheless, he payed no heed to his little episodes and figured that maybe he'd caught a cold or the flu after playing with water six days ago. And so, he continued his journey without a care. He would come to regret it later...

/

Once Furihata's silhouette was out of sight, Masato dropped his friendly smile and approachable vibe. He retreated back into the cottage and walked into the washroom.

Leaning into the mirror, he glanced at his face and smirked in a way that was very unlike the Masato that Furihata had come to know and love. "As I thought, this really doesn't fit me. Maybe I should go with green hair next time?" He said as he twirled few strands of his hair.

Masato slipped off his wig, revealing a mop of vibrant red hair that resembled a burning fire. Carefully, he pulled down his skin beneath his eyes and squeezed the contact lens gently to remove them. His heterochromatic eyes were revealed; one gold and the other red.

Masato Aikawa was no more. In his place stood Akashi Seijuro.

"You'd better not disappoint me, Furihata Kouki. After all, I spend more than a week tending to your needs to make sure my plan is executed successfully."

Akashi went on to change out of the clothes he had donned for his little act and put on something he felt a little more comfortable with: a black suit. When he was properly dressed, he took out his sleek red smartphone, which he hadn't had the chance to use for a week. He reactivated it, and once the process was complete, Akashi scrolled over to his inbox, where he found that he'd received quite a few messages. Albeit most of them were from his right hand man, Midorima Shintaro.

One of them read:

Akashi! Where have you been! Do you know how worried we are?!

-Midorima Shintaro

Akashi highly doubted that his comrades would worry needlessly about him. And he was fairly certain that most of them wouldn't even have noticed that he had been gone for a week.

Right at that moment, the doorbell rang. Akashi stopped his musings -since he rather enjoyed how worried Midorima was- and went to see who was there. He looked through the peephole in case it was Furihata, who may have returned for some reason. Akashi hoped not.

To his surprise, it was pair of black rimmed glasses and emerald green eyes that greeted him on the other side of the door. Ah, seemed like Midorima had somehow discovered where he was. As expected of the man who Akashi trusted with his life.

Akashi opened the door and greeted him as an old friend. "What a surprise, Shintaro. How do you do?"

/

 **While there are no scenes on Seirin and Kuroko, I'd hope you enjoy this chapter! Review please!**


	8. The Eighth Checkmate

**This will not be AkaFuri because Furihata wouldn't stand a chance against Kuroko.**

/

Midorima exhaled deeply as he lifted his glasses to rub his eyes. They felt about ready to fall out of their sockets if Midorima does not attempt to minimize the pain. He had been staring at the screen nonstop for the past couple of hours, hoping to find some trace of Akashi's location. His boss, the leader of Generation of Miracles, also his childhood friend, had disappeared with out a word about two weeks ago. And at this rate, his mind would explode due to the level of frustration he was feeling.

He took a another sip of coffee to keep him energized and awake, unhealthy as it was. Of course, Akashi's absence didn't mean that their clan was now totally defenseless or vulernable, but the main concern was that the two still had to discuss an important plan, and Akashi wasn't there to consult or confirm details. Even Midorima, who was usually very level-headed, was pissed off to the point of wanting to flip some tables, which he may have done if he wasn't concerned about the odd looks and questions about his sanity he was sure to get. Unlike Aomine or even Kise, Midorima cares about how others perceive him and thus, he refrain from making a fool out of himself. It's enough that there are two idiots in this clan and Midorima doesn't need to add himself to that list.

Of course, the thought that Akashi had been kidnapped crossed his mind for a split second, but the thought was quickly discarded. No one in their right mind would dare to try, and even if they did, they certainly wouldn't have succeeded. This, Midorima can say for sure with no doubts. Sure he expected Aomine to slack off and wander elsewhere to do who knows what, but he never would have expected Akashi to commit such irresponsible act.

Midorima just couldn't figure Akashi out sometimes. The redhead has a tendency to be incredibly unpredictable at unpredictable times.

After taking few breaths and recollecting his thoughts, Midorima think it through logically and came to the conclusion that Akashi must have had some kind of top secret business to take care of and that he couldn't share it anyone else, including Midorima, or else the rate of success will decrease.

Whatever the explanation for his disappearance was, Midorima's first move was to try to track Akashi through GPS. Of course it failed, as no signals were received, meaning the smartphone was most likely shut off or malfunctioning. Akashi wasn't in any way careless, so he had probably shut the phone off himself.

Midorima really was about ready to just give up after several failed scans of security camera footage from the places Akashi often frequented and various phone calls to their allies. Five hours of fruitless searching later, he decided to call it a day and wait for Akashi come back whenever he felt like it.

After a while, Midorima got up to brew some more coffee to soothe his pounding headache, only to be stopped by the sudden sound of his phone ringtone from his pocket.

Hoping it was Akashi, Midorima immediately answered the call. "Hello?"

 _"Hi, Shin-chan, how are you doing?"_ Came the ethusiastic reply, and that instantly identified the caller. The cheerful and incredibly loud voice injured his eardrums and the bespeckled male actually recoiled at the noise. "Do you need something Takao?" He asked with impatience and annoyance in his voice.

 _"So mean! Here I am, wanting to share something super interesting, but a certain someone just has to get their panties in a twist and act like they're on their period."_

Even without actually seeing each other, Midorima could tell that Takao was currently hiding a cheshire cat smile behind a fake-pout, trying to hold in his laughter. As usual, his favorite hobby was to tease Midorima until he was content, though that moment never seems to come soon enough.

He sighed. "Just tell me why you called."

 _"Fine, fine. So Miyaji-san and I were hanging out by Maji Burger, you know, the famous restaurant with the best hamburgers in Japan?"_

At this point, Midorima knew Takao was drooling. "And...?" He prompted.

 _"And then, looking around, I spotted- drum roll please- Seirin's Furihata Kouki! Man, that shocked me!"_

"What was he doing there?" Midorima was somewhat astonished, so he quickly typed the information down to send to someone later.

 _"Who knows? So of course, we decided to see what he was up to, since he was kinda being all sneaky and suspicious-"_

"Stalker," Midorima instantly interjected. He definitely would use any chance he could to get Takao back for all the embarrassment Takao had put him through. He never forgot any of the blows to his pride that Takao had made.

 _"I'm not!~ But anyway, we saw him walking with this purple-haired guy and they were getting all lovey-dovey on each other,"_ Takao then make some exaggerated sounds as if he couldn't handle seeing love birds getting intimate. In truth, he was just a tad bit jealous, since he couldn't openly act that way with his own lover, who he was currently talking to. It didn't help that his lover was a complete tsundere.

"Could it have been Murasakibara?"

 _"Nah, that guy was shorter- around my height."_

Midorima continued typing, "... And why is this interesting?"

 _"Shin-chan, you dummy! Think about it, Furihata was supposedly kidnapped by Tōō, right? And yet lo and behold, there he was, with no injuries whatsoever! Now doesn't that information sounds a little fishy?"_

Already they could tell that news would traveled fast, and many clans would soon heard of this surprising fact. A tick throbbed painfully on Midorima's temples. That Takao had the nerve to call him stupid. "Moving on, did anything else happened that you want to report?"

 _"Yeah, I think the guy he was with, the purple-haired one, is really suspicious. I mean, I saw the ring that you gave to Akashi for his birthday fall out of his pocket. Something's definitely not right. What was Akashi's ring doing in the hands of some random stranger? Not to mention, even though we were super discreet about following them, I swear his eyes looked in my direction for a split second! Creepy."_ Goosebumps racked Takao's body as he reenacted the scene mentally.

This caught Midorima's attention and he sat up straight. "Are you positive? Are you sure that it was the exact same ring I gave Akashi?"

 _"Yes, I'm positive! Shin-chan, trust me on this! My hawk eyes have never failed me!"_

Midorima tapped his fingers against the table. "...Takao, give me the address where you saw that man."

And that brings the story to Midorima's current situation. There was no doubt in his mind that the man that had been with Furihata had indeed been Akashi in disguise. Akashi would never drop his ring or give it to someone else. In fact, Akashi had worn it for several years and had grown quite fond of it, never taking it off unless it was absolutely necessary. Moreover, the ring was custom made for Akashi, so there was no way someone else just happened to have had the same exact ring.

As soon as Akashi appeared from the other side of the door and greeted him, Midorima immediately got straight to the point.

"Akashi, what had you been up to for the past two weeks?! You just disappeared without a word or even a note! What are you thinking?!" Midorima exclaimed, not bothering to return the greeting that Akashi had given. His cheeks were slightly flushed due to the level of anger he been trying to hold in. He was sick of Akashi's games and was tired of not knowing what Akashi planned to do. In his anger, he completely disregarded the fact that Akashi was his boss. For a moment, they spoke as equals.

"Hello to you too. Do come in, I believe we have a lot to talk about," Akashi was unfazed at his friend's outburst, leaving the door ajar and waking back to the living room first.

"Damn right you are," Midorima muttered under his breath, still angry at Akashi for making him worry and not spilling his plan to him. Just what are friends for anyway? Don't they trust each other with their backs? What did that make Midorima and Akashi? Right now, Midorima doesn't feel that they're even friends.

Midorima had known since the begining of the their friendship that Akashi was a manipulative leader who would bend people to his will to get what he wanted. He wasn't merciful and he could be cruel when he want to. It all just depends on the mood and the level of importance of the situation. Akashi was like a puzzle chain and it gets more complicated and confusing the more you tried to understand him. Unpredictable. Akashi had always been like that, but Midorima had never doubted that Akashi knew what he was doing. Otherwise he wouldn't have followed him since childhood like an obedient knight. And that was also partially why Akashi's men followed him with no question because they all trust their leader and believe that Akashi was capable to bring them to success.

"Pray tell, how did you find out where I was?" Akashi questioned, even though he already knew the answer.

"Takao told me he saw you in disguise hanging out with Furihata. He stalked you for a while and saw your ring. The connection wasn't hard to make. How long do you think I've known you for anyway?" Midorima said pointedly. His last sentence was a rhetorical question, but Akashi supplied an answer anyway.

"Long enough for you to understand what I want without me telling you."

Midorima didn't say anything for a moment and stared deep into Akashi's eyes. "... What was your aim in hanging around with Furihata?" Of course he knew who Furihata Kouki was. In fact, their renown clan had information on every mafia member, alive or dead. There was practically nowhere their extensive information network couldn't reach. Just like the other clans, they had a strategic mastermind who used their network and vast knowledge to form perfect plans, and her name was Momoi Satsuki. Her skills were unrivaled by anyone and even Riko was beneath her. In fact, it was to her that Midorima had been sending information to when he received Takao's report, actually.

"I believe you already know the answer," Akashi merely chuckled.

Midorima created a mental list of possibilities, "Are you going to use him to infiltrate Seirin's-"

"Bingo."

The gears in his head began to turn as he put the pieces together, "And how will you accomplish that? Seirin is a group filled with incredibly loyal members. It won't be easy to convince a member to betray their group."

"Don't be so sure. We're going to be using Furihata to destroy Seirin from the inside. My mission was to gain control over him by making him fall in love with me. It'll help that he ate the nutmeg in that soup too. It should be settling into his system right about now."

"What if your plan fails?" The plan sounded too risky in his opinion. While it was true that nutmeg could cause hallucinations in large dosages along with few side effects like vomiting, there was no real way to control them. There was no guarantee that Furihata would see what Akashi wanted him to see, so no matter what Akashi's plan was, the unpredictable nature of the hallucinations would make it possible for too many things to go wrong. So how can Akashi be so sure of the plan?

Akashi smirked, "'Fail?' That word doesn't exist in my vocabulary, Shintarou. Come, let's meet with everyone to prepare for our attack on Seirin."

Midorima was still a bit confused and definitely needed more time to digest the information, but he followed Akashi nonetheless. They were almost to the door when Akashi suddenly stopped and turned to Midorima. "By the way Shintarou, kindly tell Kazunari that he'll pay for calling me short."

Midorima froze, but he did make and attempt to save his lover from Akashi's wrath, "Akashi, Takao doesn't mean to say that. He didn't know it was you in disguise!"

"Regardless, he touched upon a very sensitive topic and should receive a punishment in return," the glare that Akashi sent in his direction rendered Midorima speechless and immobile.

 _Takao, I hope make it out of this alive_ , Midorima thought.

/

Without warning, Riko suddenly dropped the dishes she was holding with her hand, startling the other residents occupying the living room.

"Riko-san, are you alright?" Kuroko questioned as he carefully helped her pick up the glass shards.

She could only watch Kuroko toss out the shards in the trash in her place as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Simultaneously, her heart hammered faster and adrenaline rushed through her veins, preparing her to run away if needed. "Y-Yeah."

What was this feeling? Somehow, she felt that somethng was about to go terribly wrong. She severely hoped that this was her mind playing a trick on her... The last thing Seirin needed was something ELSE going wrong right now. At this moment, if something were to go wrong, then the damage could be very serious since Hyuga and few other members were absent currently.

"Come on, Riko nee-san!" One of the children pleaded, tugging on Riko's arm. It snapped her out of her train of thought and brought her back to reality. She let the child dragged her over to the couch where the rest of the children were huddled together and discussing which movie to watch.

Riko felt herself relax a bit, watching the children interact so nicely. She thought that the heavy stone in her stomach would disappear completely, but then Hisao suddenly exclaimed, "Hey! Let's watch this movie again!" He held up a disc that has a picture of two men fighting each other, with blood splattering all over the cover. The movie was about the elder brother of a rich family, who is revealed to be an illegitimate child and becomes obsessed with getting revenge on his family for rejecting him and his rights as the firstborn, but his legitimate, younger brother gets the family inheritance instead of him. It was a violent movie with a lot of bloodshed and betrayal, and seeing it made Riko still where she stood. Her anxiety increased and a shiver went down her spine. Before she even knew what she was doing, she roughly snatched the DVD out of Hisao's hand.

"Hey, what was that for?!"

"Children shouldn't be watching these kinds of movies. Let's watch another one okay?"

She saw Nemo in the corner of her eyes and she grabbed it. "How about this one? This is what you guys should watch. Nemo's fun and enjoyable and-"

"What's wrong with it? Why can't we watch the other movie? You've never said anything like that in the past, why now?" The other children also joined in the argument, and it got more heated with every passing moment.

Why now? Even Riko didn't understand why she was acting this way. They all were, or at least would eventfully be, part of the mafia, so why would it be wrong for them to watch gore and bloodshed? Wouldn't those things be a part of their normal lives in the future? Just what exactly was she afraid of?

"Just listen to what I say!" She hadn't been aware that she had raised her voice and frightened the children so they flinched in response. It was normal for Riko to raise her voice when she was angry, but she was rarely ever THIS scary. Something was definitely off. To them, the Riko in front of them is a stranger and not someone who they get accustomed to. Riko noticed how the kids reacted and reigned herself back in. She hadn't meant to be this mean, but no apology left her mouth. Not knowing what to do, she simply picked up the movie along with other "inappropriate films" and rushed back to her room without a word, leaving Kuroko and the children confused.

She jumped to her bed and flipped the blanket over her body as she curled into the fetal position. She wanted to stop the foreboding feelings in her gut and make them go away, so she tried to bury herself in the bed. Moments later, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, but that was when the nightmare began.

She saw herself standing in front of two men, specifically the pair of brothers from the movie that Hisao had wanted to watch. However, as she looked on, the younger brother morphed into Hyuga, and the older brother's face became one that she didn't recognize. The "older brother" stabbed Hyuga with a knife and elbowed him in the gut, spitting profanities all the while. Hyuga wasn't able to fight back and kept coughing blood. Riko stood there, internally screaming and crying, but she couldn't move and no one seemed to hear her.

"STOP! HYUGA!"

Hyuga fell to the muddy Earth and his eyes darted to Riko before closing once and for all.

Riko collapsed on her knees and it was at his moment that the "older brother's" eyes glanced at her viciously.

"You're next... Riko." His words were like ice. His pair of heterochromatic eyes stared down at her intensely, and Riko couldn't even say anything or run away.

Was this the end?

"...san... Ri... san... Riko-san!" Riko's eyes snapped open and she gasped for breath as if she had just finished a marathon. Once her eyesight cleared up, she saw a pair of cerulean eyes staring down at her.

"Are you okay, Riko-san? You're screaming loudly and I couldn't shake you awake no matter how hard I tried." She had been trashing violently when she walked into the room.

"... I-I'm fine." A weak fake smile made its way across her face on her face. "I'm fine." Kuroko doesn't look convinced, but remain silent nonetheless.

 _Hyuga, please come back quickly. I need you..._


	9. The Ninth Checkmate

Akashi and Midorima were currently making sure to erase any evidence that indicated that anyone had ever been in the cottage. They had destroyed used cups, toothbrushes, pillowcases - basically anything that Akashi had used as Akashi was never one to let his guard down. After all, it was easy to detect who was occupying a certain room using strands of hair or strings of saliva with modern technology. As long as there was evidence of DNA, it was possible to figure out all sorts of information, and Akashi was never one to let others pull an advantage over him.

It was a given that Akashi detested the idea of someone knowing his plans without him personally delivering the information. He liked to keep things under wraps so once his plans reached an end, Akashi could feel the utmost satisfaction as he watched his opponents tumble one by one without them even knowing what had hit them. That was the moment that Akashi lived for. It was truly pleasing when he was the sole victor.

Giving the cottage a final glance, Akashi sent a brief nod to his subordinate and the two departed, leaving just as quietly as they'd arrived.

The ride back to the base was, for lack of a better word, quiet. Neither of the two were the kind to indulge themselves in pointless conversation, and so they didn't converse with one another throughout the entire ride.

At one point however, Midorima decided to check tomorrow's horoscope in advance while Akashi decided to take the opportunity to reply to his unread messages. Aside from that, the two didn't do anything else other than stare out the window, watching the scenery pass by in fast motion.

Akashi cleared his throat, drawing Midorima's attention to himself before beginning to speak. "Did anything of importance happened during my absence?" The relaxing atmosphere vanished and a tense one replaced it; Akashi was getting right down to business.

Midorima instantly straightened his back and answered, "The mission given to Kise was accomplished successfully. We can infiltrate their base at any moment. When do you believe is the best time?" Kise's mission was simple: he just needed to implant the minuscule tracking device on Kuroko's necklace without being noticed. Of course, he had to betray Kuroko's trust in him, but that was the plan from the start. There was no real friendship between them (at least on Kise's part).

Akashi nodded, "Tomorrow night would be best. We'll knock them down when they're the most vulnerable and defenseless."

Truth to be told, Midorima wasn't sure why Akashi was so determined to bring Seirin to its knees. From what he knew, Seirin haven't done anything to get Akashi to go to such lengths, but even though these questions lingered in his mind, he decided to kept quiet. There must've been a reason to explain this, and if Akashi wasn't willing to share at the moment, then he would just wait until the moment came.

Though - his frown deepened further - Midorima wondered just how long he could be patient. In all honesty, he wanted to demand an answer from Akashi... And maybe strangle him for sending Midorima on a wild goose chase when he disappeared. It was frustrating that he had to keep all this confusion and irritation bottled up inside. In the end though, he simply couldn't do anything if Akashi was determined to do something.

He sighed inwardly.

 _'One day,'_ he thought, _'One day you'll be the death of me, Akashi.'_

/

The car's tires screeched as it parked in front of the base. The chauffeur opened the door and saluted to his bosses. Akashi and Midorima got out of the vehicle and made their way to the entrance. Unlike Seirin's base, which was mostly located underground, the GoM's base was above the surface, and its enormous stature made it distinguishable to anyone; the GoM weren't even trying to hide their location. It was like they were advertising to everyone, announcing: "We're right here."

Frankly, they weren't afraid of anyone attacking them. In fact, they welcomed it. These fights would certainly make their lives at least a little more entertaining, and they thrived on victory. No one would ever fought the GoM more than once because once was enough to teach them that the GoM wasn't a clan they could mess with.

Over time, the GoM made alliances with different clans, and their influence now had reached all over the world. As predators, that were literally at the top of the food chain; it wasn't too difficult for life to get boring quickly, and so, they needed something new to brighten their lives.

Then again, now there was Seirin. Yes, this new clan was certainly fascinating... Just few years ago, people barely knew that the clan existed, but now, things had drastically changed to the point where Akashi would deem them as good targets for the game he had laid out.

After the duo entered the base, Akashi strode towards the wall and pushed on a tile that was camouflaged against the pale wall. A security pad instantly popped out. Akashi placed his thumb on the screen, and after passing that layer of security, the redhead entered the password that he had memorized like the back of his hand: 205201921251. A green "clear" message appeared across the screen, which signaled the deactivation of the hidden booby traps and laser beams.

The two then proceeded to walk further down the hallway. This time, Midorima was the one who input the password. The green-head strolled towards a slim vase with a simple yet elegant design and turned it 360 degrees exactly three times. Just like before, a security pad appeared, but this time, the password required a set of roman numerals, and Midorima typed in: IXIIXIXXIXVIIIXV.

He cleared this level, and the walls in front of them shifted sideways, revealing a metal elevator that just opened its doors for the two. The only way for anyone to get above the first floor was to enter the correct passwords and use the elevator. If someone would to turn the vase one less or one more time than necessary, then the hidden traps would've been reactivated, and the floor would split to create an opening that would swallow everyone in the hallway.

It was like the entire base was alive; one careless mistake anywhere could cost a person their life.

In extreme cases of emergency however, the clan members could bypass the passwords by using a small key - though in reality, the key was only a thin gold rectangle that has no edges nor crooks. What made it unique was that there were specific sets of codes designed into these keys. When attached to their accessories and placed in the designated location, which was right next to the entrance of the building, the elevator immediately appeared and all the traps were turned off. This was designed only for emergencies, and Akashi could shut this setting off anytime. That being said, this special setting wasn't there for those who were lazy and just wanted to skip entering the passwords. (Akashi had dealt out the appropriate punishment to clan members who had been abusing this emergency security system.)

As the two entered the elevator, the doors slid shut and their ascent was made quickly, indicating that this was truly a top-notch technology. A "ding" reverberated throughout the elevator to signal that it had reached the fifth floor, and they stepped out.

"Home sweet home," Akashi muttered as he scrutinized his base. Good, it was still just as he remembered.

"Well Akashi, I'm going to leave as I still have matters to attend to," Midorima said, and Akashi nodded in response.

As the redhead advanced further down the hallway, he paused momentarily as he caught his reflection in the mirror on the wall. His hair was slightly disheveled due to him taking off the wig previously.

"That's not how a leader should present himself," he commented as he quickly combed down strands of hair with pale fingers. He patted the hair down as a finishing touch and finished recreating his original hair style. And afterwards, he moved on.

Soon, he passed by a certain door. It was the door to the kitchen, and the clattering noises coming from the inside caught his attention. Curious, he decided to see what was happening. He poked his head into the room and he raised his eyebrows at the sight he was greeted with. His subordinate, Aomine, was wearing an apron with gloves and he was rubbing down various cabinets around the room.

Akashi knew Aomine well enough to know of his lazy disposition unless fighting was involved, in which he would act more like a wild and untamed beast. What's more, Aomine was never one to spare a second glance at menial chores, particularly cleaning. This was an odd sight indeed.

He moved in a little more, and now he could hear that Aomine muttering profanities under his breath, clearly dissatisfied with what he was doing. Unable to resist speaking up, Akashi inquired, "Daiki, why are you cleaning up the kitchen? This isn't exactly your domain."

Aomine turned his neck rapidly and dropped the rag he had been holding. "A-Akashi? Is that you?"

Amused, Akashi responded, "Who else would I be?"

"B-but you," Aomine pointed a finger at his leader, "didn't you go missing or something?"

"To be specific, I wasn't 'missing.' I was merely on a undercover mission, but now I'm back."

That explained a lot to Aomine. His leader definitely wasn't one to report his every move to anyone, but that didn't stop Aomine from thinking that it would be nicer if he did. Akashi continued, "Are you going to answer my question...?"

The tanned male heaved a deep sigh, "It's that shitty titan."

"What did you do to Atsushi?" Akashi folded his arms as if he was the parent, ready to scold his child for their misbehavior.

Aomine gasped, "Why do you assume that I did something?!"

"Because Mine-chin," a lazy voice drawled out, and Murasakibara walked out from the connected room to the kitchen. "You did do something." He placed his hands on his hips. "You messed up the cake I spent a lot of time baking."

"The hell?!" Aomine exclaimed, glaring at his comrade. "Don't go blaming everything on me! It was just there when I accidentally tripped! It wasn't my fault!"

"It WAS your fault," Murasakibara pouted, unrelenting.

"You-" Aomine stepped forward to give the titan a piece of his mind, but Murasakibara dodged him and walked closer to Akashi.

"Here, Aka-chin," he held up a fork with a piece of green tea cake, and as Akashi opened his mouth to say something, Murasakibara used the opportunity to gently feed the pastry into the redhead's mouth.

Akashi was left with no choice but to eat it. After few seconds of tasting, he commented, "Nice, Atsushi. You never fail to surprise me with your skills."

"Yay, here, have more."

Aomine stared, dumbfounded. Why in the world were they being so chummy in front of him? "Oi, why are you only giving Akashi cake? What about me?"

"Mine-chin, you don't get any~"

"What?!" Insulted, Aomine hurriedly ran up to snatch the cake away from Murasakibara.

Akashi could only shake his head at the sight. "Well, I'll leave you two alone, but just remember to not accidentally destroy the kitchen. I would prefer it stayed intact."

He then left and closed the door behind him as well.

/

Haizaki shoved his hands into his jean pockets and take out a cigarette from his jacket. He lit it up with a lighter that had his name engraved in it and inhaled deeply.

As usual, his body began to feel lighter and more relaxed. As he exhaled, puffs of smoke rose into the air and dissipated away. He opened his eyes, and it was then that he spotted Midorima carrying stacks of paper.

"Oi, back already?" He asked rudely. As Midorima walked on, he purposefully blew out smoke onto the green-head's face.

Midorima wrinkled his nose in disgust and automatically covered his nose with one hand while simultaneously trying to wave the smoke away. "Yes, I've found Akashi. And Haizaki, if you want to smoke, kindly go outside to do so."

Haizaki smirked, "Since when do I care how others feel? I do what I want."

Midorima rolled his eyes, words just wasn't enough to make Haizaki listen. Jesus, his clan was full of difficult people.

"Well, unlike you, I have business that requires my attention, so farewell." He excused himself curtly, not wanting to stay within the general vicinity of the delinquent any longer.

Haizaki did not say anything, and for once, the two were on the same page. He was about to continue wandering around for the heck of it, but then he remembered that he still needed to report significant information to Akashi or else someone would be naggy and chase him down.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally chose to walk to Akashi's office room.

With a sigh, he loudly but reluctantly knocked on the door twice before entering. Dragging his feet, he noticed Akashi sitting on the couch, sipping tea. Akashi only looked briefly at Haizaki.

Akashi swallowed the remnants of the tea before he placed the cup on the china saucer with a clang, setting it on the table. "What do you need, Shougo?"

"I'm here to report any findings and such," Haizaki mumbled. He sat on the couch opposite of the redhead, making himself comfortable.

"And was there anything specific you wanted to mention?"

"Yeah, that shitty Nijimura wants me to tell you that he's coming back soon from his trip," he grunted, obviously not pleased that Nijimura would be coming back. Not only was Nijimura ranked higher than him, but in addition, having to take that guy's orders were unbearable; Nijimura always enjoyed teasing Haizaki. He rarely had any freedom when Nijimura, the perceptive bastard, was around. Just thinking that his arch nemesis would be coming back created an immense headache for him.

"Oh, that's good news. Did he mention a specific date?" Akashi smiled. To him, Nijimura was someone with whom he got along with very well, in addition to being dependable and capable as well.

Haizaki shrugged and was about to put his feet up on the glass table, but stopped himself when he remembered that this was Akashi he was talking to. "Not really. That was it. So..." Haizaki got up to leave, but stopped when he heard Akashi continue speaking.

"Are you not going to apologize for the incident at the docks?" Akashi looked up, eyes locking with Haizaki's.

"W-What do you mean?" Haizaki started sweating. This was not good, Akashi _knew_.

The redhead folded his hands, "I don't remember telling you to shoot at Hyuga, now did I?"

"But I did you a favor, didn't I?!" Haizaki protested with a step forward. "You can take down Seirin easier with their leader injured," he reasoned.

Akashi closed his eyes, "That is indeed true, but you should know that I despise playing with weak opponents. What's the point of a game if the opponent can't even retaliate?"

/

Kiyoshi placed a damp towel on Mitobe's forehead in hopes that his fever would go away soon. At the very least, Mitobe's complexion was a little closer to its original color than it was a few days ago.

After Mitobe was shot, along with Izuki who was suffering a broken shoulder, Seirin had to find a safe but close place immediately so that they could treat their injured. Naturally, as they are members of the underworld, they couldn't enter a hospital and receive treatment during the day because someone might recognize them and cause unwanted trouble.

And so they could only depend on Kiyoshi, whose medical skills were the best among them. As they had no money on them, Hyuga had suggested that they break into someone else's house and use it temporarily.

With no options left, they could only take this path. They chose a house that looked unoccupied and then Izuki, who was a master lock pick, successfully opened the door.

The group entered the house quietly and hastily. Kiyoshi instantly went on a search for medical supplies while Hyuga and the rest of of Seirin went to help the injured onto the couches.

Carrying the first-aid kit, Kiyoshi turned to Mitobe and explained the procedure, "Mitobe, I'm going to heat a knife up to get that bullet out of you, alright? This will hurt a lot, so I want to receive your permission beforehand." To be honest, Kiyoshi didn't have complete faith in himself in his ability to safely carry out this procedure, as he had never done anything this serious. He was no doctor after all, and he knew he was risking injuring his friend even further. Nevertheless, he was the only one who even had an idea of what to do. Mitobe's life depended on him. He couldn't afford to mess up no matter what.

Mitobe nodded weakly, already faint from the blood loss. Thankfully, Kiyoshi had bandaged his wound with a cloth to help stop the blood from flowing out, so he wasn't quite unconscious yet.

Hyuga stepped in and helped Mitobe lay down, chest pressing against the couch. Gently, he used a pair of scissors to cut off the shirt so it wouldn't get in the way. Hyuga frowned. The wound was still bleeding profusely.

Touching Kiyoshi's shoulder, Hyuga told him, "Do your best." Kiyoshi nodded. His words of encouragement were very needed.

Kiyoshi gulped as he glanced at the knife he was holding. He had just held it into some flames from the stove, and now the knife was burning red, sizzling. Even at this distance, Kiyoshi could feel the heat radiating off the knife. It was necessary to avoid bacterial infection, but... he simply couldn't imagine the tremendous pain Mitobe would undergo. He could only hope for the best.

"Here goes nothing, Mitobe."

Mitobe grunted, gesturing for Kiyoshi to start. Kiyoshi take a deep breath to calm his nerves; he must be calm or else he would definitely mess this up. He knelt down and started working.

The knife just barely entered into the wound, and already Mitobe was screaming and struggling. "Hold him down!" Kiyoshi commanded with urgency, and his family followed his instructions.

Even though it pained him to continue, Kiyoshi pushed forward, and the knife buried itself deeper into human flesh. Blood had started pouring with renewed rigor, and Kiyoshi had to use his other hand to wipe the blood away with the bandages.

The process was torture and the pain was unbearable. Mitobe had tears streaming down his face and sweat (along with blood) was clinging onto his body like nasty leeches. It was an awful mess. Mitobe dug his fingers into the couch with all his might, turning his finger tips red.

Mitobe kept screaming until his throat went hoarse, and simultaneously, Izuki was muttering words of encouragement, holding Mitobe's hand reassuringly. Not that it helped much; the pain made him unable to listen to anything. He could only focus on the searing burn at his back. Everything else was blocked out.

Kiyoshi wasn't much better off either. His ability to stay calm and patient was being tested as he carefully twisted and maneuvered the knife around the bullet. He was sweating from the stress and anxiety caused by it. It was a meticulous work, and the pressure was immense. It took everything he had to see the procedure through the end.

After what seemed like hours had passed, the ordeal was finally over. Kiyoshi carefully placed the metal bullet onto a tray and let out a breath that he had been unconsciously holding in. Exhausted, Kiyoshi's knees went weak and he slumped against the couch, panting. He silently thanked Hyuga for handing him some napkins to wipe his forehead.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Mitobe was unconscious and he quickly stitched up the open wound as well as bandaging it. Afterwards, he used a damp towel to wipe off the excess blood. Meanwhile, his family members went to retrieve a blanket for Mitobe and they also help Kiyoshi clean up the mess.

Kiyoshi was also about to nod off himself, but snapped awake once he remembered that Izuki's shoulder was still dislocated. "Izuki," he muttered softly, "let me look at your shoulder so I can set it right."

Izuki shake his head, "You're exhausted. Don't worry, my injury can wait."

"No," Kiyoshi insisted and waved his hand. "Come here."

Izuki obliged and sat directly in front of Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi observed the bruise on the shoulder and touched it gently. Izuki winced, and it didn't go unnoticed. Looking into Kiyoshi's eyes, Izuki nodded, bracing himself for what he knew would come next.

Fluidly, Kiyoshi snapped Izuki's bones to the right position. A flash of pain shot down his arm, but the worst of it was gone as quickly as it had come. A less crippling as well as stinging kind of pain lingered, but Izuki's schooled his face into a neutral expression.

"Thanks," Izuki said in gratitude.

"I'm just doing what any of us would do. Now, I think we should put some ointment on the bruise and bandage it...?" Kiyoshi sounded a little uncertain, but Izuki reassured him that he wasn't doing anything wrong.

A day passed, and Seirin found out that Mitobe was suffering from a fever. The source? No one can discern that, but that wasn't their first priority. Using the medicine they had available in the house, they fed Mitobe some fever-reducing medicine that they found in a cabinet.

Not too long after, Mitobe looked much better. The family members were all in better good shape now, so they began consider another problem. They didn't know when the residents of this house would come back. They were already incredibly lucky that the residents hadn't come back by now, and they didn't know how long they could keep pushing their luck.

And so, Hyuga had his men keep a look out so they would be alerted if anyone approached the house. At the very least they were safe for now, and that was what mattered.

/

Hisao stared at Furihata in confusion. The latter had just came back, but somehow the boy could tell that then elder wasn't acting like himself. Furihata was staring off into space and didn't greet Hisao (or anyone really) when he came back to the base.

"Hey!" Hisao waved a hand in front of Furihata, and Furihata did not respond. Whatever it is happening, Hisao did not understand it, and quite frankly, it wasn't his business, so he chose to ignore it.

Reaching for the remote control, Hisao pressed the button and turned on the TV. He skipped several channels and settled on Gintama. Hisao was always scolded for watching this anime simply because it contained some inappropriate scenes, so he expected Furihata to yell at him, but he heard nothing.

He stared at Furihata in wonder; had the latter finally accepted his interest in Gintama?

After watching almost half an episode, Hisao exclaimed, "Man, I wanna eat some popcorn!" He rubbed his belly. Again, he expected Furihata to scold him and say that Hisao shouldn't be a greedy pig, but again, nothing happened.

Instead, Furihata stood up and walked into the kitchen. Grabbing a bag of popcorn kernels, he emptied it into a bowl and microwaved it for a good few minutes. Hisao blinked several times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Was Furihata really doing what Hisao wanted? That was hard to digest honestly.

Furihata poured the popcorn into a bowl and handed it to Hisao. Still confused, Hisao took the bowl and stared at Furihata. He stared for few minutes, but then he shrugged. Furihata gladly offered him food, who was he to refuse?

Tossing few pieces of popcorn into his mouth, he munched on his snack and continued the anime.

"Furihata-san?" A soft voice came from behind them. Hisao turned around and saw Seirin's guest, Kuroko, walking towards them. "It's rare for you to willingly give Hisao-kun popcorn. Usually, you'd protest for the sake of his health."

"..."

Kuroko stared at Furihata. Why wasn't the latter responding? "Ano, Furihata-san?" Kuroko stepped forward to gently shake Furihata's shoulder a couple of times.

Finally, Furihata snapped out of his trance. "Huh? Oh Kuroko, what is it?"

"...I called you few times, but you didn't seem to hear me."

"Ah..." Furihata chuckled, "I was kind of daydreaming...?" Even he himself wasn't sure what he had been so dazed about. At that moment, he noticed Hisao eating popcorn. "Hisao, how many times have I told you to not eat popcorn?!" He snatched the bowl away from Hisao.

"Hey!" Hisao protested. "You're the one who gave it to me!"

Furihata froze, "... I did? But I don't remember..."

The boy snorted, "How bad is your memory? Now, give me back my popcorn!"

"Hi-sa-o, how many times do I have to repeat myself? Respect. Your. Elders." Hisao only stuck out his tongue and ran away, prompting Furihata to chase after him.

Kuroko watched the two, and even though Furihata temporarily pushed the incident into the back of his mind, Kuroko didn't. He knew something was amiss, but he just couldn't pinpoint exactly what the problem was.

What was going on?


	10. The Tenth Checkmate

The curtains in the room were drawn tight, keeping the moonlight from peaking through. Amidst the darkness, one lone figure walked towards the door and gently turned the lock with a soft, almost imperceptible click. The figure stepped into the connected bathroom and locked that door as well, only sparing a quick but cautionary glance back.

With only the moonlight to light the way, the person navigated their way through the room, bare feet padding across the tiled floor. Upon finally reaching their destination, the person sat on top of the closed toilet and fished out a cell phone from their pocket.

After a few taps, a familiar ring hummed in their ear. Barely a second later, the receiver picked up the call and promptly responded with a suave voice, "Missed me?"

"I did indeed." A small smile graced his lips. There was no need to claim otherwise as his lover practically knew everything about him. He leaned back and tilted his head in an attempt to hear the other person better - though he didn't dare raise the volume of the phone.

"Well then, why didn't you contact me sooner?" The person inquired teasingly, and a light chuckle soothed his soul. He smiled.

"You know why." He closed his eyes, once again familiarizing himself with that soft yet authoritative voice. It really had been too long since he had last heard his lover's voice, and now, he was suddenly reminded of just how much he longed for his other half. But nevertheless, there wasn't much he can do. Not until this whole game was over. "But I really do miss you... Things have been progressing rather boringly without you."

"Understandable. It's been rather frustrating on my end as well."

He raised his brow. "Oh? Are they annoying you again?"

"Wouldn't you know it. The second I take my eyes off them, these idiots start up another commotion."

"Aww, my poor baby," he cooed as he brought his legs up to the toilet lid.

"Yes indeed." He then continued in an almost coy fashion, "That's why I need daddy to come home and treat me the right way."

He choked and had to cover his mouth to contain his laughter. "W-What?"

"I've been reading a lot of kinky lines lately. How was it? Did it sound endearing?"

He gave a sound of affirmation. "So this is what happens when I leave you alone for too long... But I love it, nonetheless." Really, his lover was an endless box of surprises, but that made their relationship all the more fun.

"Of course you do." His lover's voice was full of confidence and pride, but that was softened by his next words, "And I love you too."

He rested his chin on top of his knees. "I wish you are here with me now."

"Don't worry we'll see each other again in due time."

He hmm-ed and nodded. That was true. No matter how far apart they were, they would always manage to return to each other's side, and this time was no different. Besides, "Yeah... the game might be ending soon."

"Then we might be looking for a new game to entertain us soon."

"Of course. Now, I'll talk to you later... love?" He added that last word after a moment of thought, fully aware of the effect it would have on the other person.

On the other end, the other person shook his head. "Take care, my sweet."

The call disconnected, and he tapped his fingers against his thigh as he pondered his next move. It was far past midnight, so everyone should be asleep, right?

With that in mind, he left the room and faded away into the darkness of the hallway, unseen and unheard.

Silent and gone.

/

With the light of the laptop screen reflecting in his lenses, Imayoshi's fingers danced across the keyboard at a breakneck pace. He skimmed the pages of information and dragged file after file into the window with a little chibi caricature that he animated as a signature (and just for kicks). His self-made program was quietly transferring the downloaded information to the other PCs connected to his. Thanks to his ploy, those Seirin fools had no way of knowing what had happened right under their noses.

Besides, Imayoshi had a certain someone on his side... And there was no way they would be losing in this battle of wits.

Imayoshi yawned and reached over to his bag of marshmallows, popping one of the small, delightful treats into his mouth. If it weren't for these fluffy desserts, without question, he wouldn't have lasted for this long. Of course, since he was assigned with two roles within Seirin's base - one being the prisoner, the other being a secret agent - he needed to play both roles at different times. Therefore, it was only at the crack of the dawn that he could fulfill the duties of his second role.

It wasn't easy to say the least, and thankfully, he had gotten several marshmallow snacks sneaked in to help him keep up.

Suddenly, a message in a green box flashed across the screen: "Transfer progress: 100%. Mission success."

Imayoshi smirked and replied, "Well done. Our job is over." Devilishly, he opened his browser and relayed this information to his higher ups, attaching a peace sign with his self-designed emoji that displayed his trademark grin.

Afterwards, he leaned back and stretched his limbs, cracking his neck from side to side and massaging his stiff muscles. He then shut his laptop and hid it in a secret compartment that he had stumbled upon while exploring his prison cell.

He was about to drift off to sleep when a sudden chill crept up his spine. Imayoshi froze. Someone was watching him. Imayoshi glanced through his peripheral vision and quipped, "Oya, oya, it's rude to approach someone without saying anything, Stalker-san."

"How cruel. Since when am I a stalker?"

Imayoshi cocked his head. "So? Did ya come up to check on me? Or..." Imayoshi waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "Did ya came for a nighttime rendezvous? I would gladly welcome you if that was the case."

"Sure, I can take you to my bedroom," the new person answered, stepping closer to Imayoshi, fingers circling around the prison bars. "As long as you don't mind being six feet under by tomorrow morning."

"Now, now, spare me that fate, would ya?" Imayoshi laughed nervously. He might be a bit of a playboy, but even he didn't have a death wish.

There was a pause, and Imayoshi swore the temperature dropped a few degrees. "Did you accomplish your mission?" The person demanded, dropping any kind of playful pretense.

Imayoshi nodded. "Of course. All information regarding Seirin had been sent."

"And...?" He prompted.

Imayoshi smirked, baring his teeth. "And _they_ can come for a visit anytime."

/

The following night, Furihata was humming along to a beat in his bedroom, swaying his hips to match the rhythm as he tidied his room.

After his temporary absence from the base, his room looked like a hurricane had run through it. Of course, Furihata knew exactly who the culprit was, but he decided to not push the issue… yet.

But back to the present, the reason why Furihata was in such a good mood was all because of a certain purple haired man. He just couldn't stop thinking about Masato, and the two had made an agreement to meet again soon. Just imaging Masato's face made Furihata feel all giddy, and a healthy red blush darkened his cheeks. Was this what love felt like?

He sighed contentedly as a huge smiled adorned his countenance. Coincidentally, at that moment, his phone vibrated from his back pocket, and the screen flashed the name he most wanted to see.

Furihata immediately swiped the screen and accepted the call in a heartbeat. "Hello?"

"Kouki? How are you?"

"... I'm..." Furihata fiddled with the hem of his T-shirt. For some reason, his stomach felt all fluttery as if a kaleidoscope had been rampaging around. "I'm great. You?"

"Lonely." Furihata blinked at the screen in confusion. Masato's voice sounded off for some reason. Nevertheless, he brushed off his suspicion.

"Me too," he admitted softly.

"Well," Masato paused for a brief second, "If you want, I can see you right now."

Furihata's eyes widened, and he almost jumped with joy. "Really? How?"

"You'll have to come outside to find out."

Turning, Furihata headed to his bedroom door, but then he stopped in his tracks. Did Masato know where he was? Surely Furihata hadn't disclosed this important information so carelessly.

As if sensing what had transpired through the brunette's mind, Masato added, "I want to see you, Kouki. Don't you want the same?"

"Of course!" He reassured hastily, abandoning the internal conflict racing through his mind. Perhaps he'd told Masato where he lived by accident or while he was tired. But none of that mattered when he could see Masato in person this very instant.

He flung the door open and dashed upstairs to the first floor, where the entrance of the base was located. Pressing the green button on the keypad to unlock the door, Furihata waited impatiently for the fingerprint scan to reveal itself. Surprisingly, the word "open" flashed in green light instead.

Furihata furrowed his brows. Had the security system been altered without his knowledge? Last time he checked, anyone who wanted to leave the base had to pass the fingerprint test first.

"Kouki?" Masato called again, pulling him away from his train of thought.

"Almost there!" Furihata pulled the door open without hesitation.

However, the large smile that previously graced his lips instantly dropped when an unfamiliar redhead in a black formal suit appeared on the other side.

The brunette's initial reaction was to shut the door and lock it, but it was too late. The redhead barged into Seirin's base as if he owned the place with two men trailing behind him.

"That was very rude, Kouki." Furihata froze as his mind registered the all too familiar voice. It couldn't be... "Is this how you greet your _lover_?"

His eyes widened. Almost not wanting to confirm what he was beginning to suspect, Furihata took a careful look at the man. He and Masato had the same voice, the same jawline, the same cheekbones, the same stature... As the evidence accumulated, Furihata became more terrified of the conclusion he arrived at.

Furihata took a step back, increasing the distance between them."Who are you?"

"Surely your intelligence isn't that low?" He looked down upon the brunette mockingly.

Furihata took a step back again as his eyes took in what he should have noticed before. Specifically, the telltale fiery red hair and distinctive ring that meant he could have only been one person...

"You're Akashi Seijuro, leader of the Generation of Miracles."

"And he finally gets it." Akashi glanced at his men. "What do you say, should we reward him?"

His condescending tone flipped a switch in Furihata as he swiped his gun from the holster he kept it in and pointed the weapon at Akashi. "What are you doing here?" The hurt he felt due to the other man's betrayal was nothing compared to the stormy rage brewing inside of him. No matter what, he wouldn't let the other man bring harm to his family.

"Drop. The. Gun."

Furihata's eyes suddenly blanked involuntarily, and the gun fell out of his grasp with a clang. His body felt like lead as he tried to override the harsh waves in vain.

 _'What? Why can't I move?'_

It was as if his body was moving according to Akashi's commands like a mindless, subservient puppet. Akashi smirked, "Looks like that special, medicinal soup is doing its job. How does it feel, Kouki, to not be in control of your body?"

 _'No, this can't be happening! No!'_

Although his heart was palpitating with panic, nothing was visible on the outside.

"Boss, we should test the extent of the effect," one man suggested with a predatory grin.

"Indeed," Akashi nodded in agreement. "Kouki, kill the patrol guards around here and don't make a sound. We wouldn't want to raise a commotion, now would we?"

 _'No, stop! No! I can't! Please, don't-'_

Once again, his body failed to listen to him and he accepted the dagger handed to him by Akashi's men. Grudgingly, Furihata turned the corner toward an unsuspecting guard. In less than a minute, Furihata had muffled the sentinel's mouth and slashed the dagger across his throat, leaving a deep gash in its wake. Blood gurgled from his mouth as the man extended his trembling arm, wordlessly calling for help; but not a second later, he ceased all struggles.

He was dead.

Just like that, Furihata killed three sentinels in succession, utilizing the same procedure. As his body went through the motions, Furihata could only watch helplessly as he brutally slaughtered his comrades one by one.

Akashi, on the other hand, was quite pleased with the results. "As fun as that was, we mustn't waste time. Now Kouki, lead my men to Aida Riko's room and capture her without any unnecessary ruckus."

"Boss?"

Akashi waved a hand. "Go. I have to pay Tetsuya a visit."

 _'Kuroko?'_

Furihata's body jerked forward with Akashi's men beside him. Somehow, he got the feeling that he was jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire; it was unnerving.

With Akashi now far away from the trio, one of the men whispered, "Why do boss need to see this 'Tetsuya' guy?"

"You're new here, so I guess you wouldn't know, but the boss is obsessed with him," his subordinate supplied.

"Obsessed?"

"You'd be surprised." He leered.

/

Riko let out a deep sigh. The longer Hyuga and her family were absent, the more distressed she became. She knew that living in the mafia world was hardly filled with rainbows and sunshine, and she accepted the fact that danger was the norm, but that didn't stop her from worrying about their safety.

Although her boyfriend had contacted her a while ago to inform her of their situation, his words of reassurance did not completely erase her fear. Riko stood up and began to pace around her bedroom in an effort to calm her nerves.

 _'Please be safe, please be safe,'_ she prayed with all her being.

Her stomach began to ache slightly, and Riko rubbed her belly. It wasn't quite showing- yet. Hopefully Riko could announce the news to her family soon as these past few days had hardly been a time for celebration.

At that moment however, someone knocked on her door. "Y-Yes?" She croaked out, but received no answer. Suspecting that something was off, she crossed the room to her drawer and grabbed a pistol, holding the weapon close.

Walking cautiously, she slowly opened the door. Immediately, someone grabbed her wrist, and another pair of hands loomed over, covering her mouth.

She fired before she could let out a scream.

/

"And so the fun begins," Imayoshi remarked as he collected his belongings. He brushed off the dust particles on his garbs and tossed the key chain up and down. "It's almost a pity that I have to leave." With that, he pushed past the metal bars and left the cell.

He was a free man once more.

/

The unconscious Riko was tossed over the shoulder of one of Akashi's men's like a sack of potatoes. Although she groaned in discomfort, she didn't appear to be gaining consciousness any time soon. Seeing that their mission was accomplished, the two men nodded at each other.

As for Furihata, they knocked him out with the butt of a pistol and, as per Akashi's instructions, one of them tucked Akashi's letter in Furihata's hands.

With their work now complete, Akashi's men left the base and disappeared into the night.

/

What happened afterwards was pure chaos. All of Seirin's remaining members were running amok while the children were commanded to stay inside their rooms.

Needless to say, Kuroko felt that it was his responsibility to shoulder a part of this burden as well. After all, this generous family had welcomed him with open arms, and he wanted to have a hand in protecting Seirin as well.

And so he trailed behind Tsuchida, Kawahara and Fukuda as they all hustled towards the source of the gunshot: Riko and Hyuga's room. As they approached closer, the unconscious silhouette of Furihata became more clear, and they all surrounded the brunette.

"Furihata? Furihata!" Fukuda shook his shoulders roughly, and it took a moment before Furihata finally stirred awake.

Furihata winced and rubbed at the bruise forming on his head. He looked around, trying to remember what had transpired, and suddenly, all the memories came flooding back, and his heart squeezed painfully within his rib cage.

He had killed his friends. He had harmed Riko. _He let an enemy trespass their base._

Him.

Although the Generation of Miracles was responsible, Furihata was hardly blameless; he was just as guilty.

How could he have been so damn stupid? Why had he fallen so easily to Akashi's lies? Did he crave affection so badly that he would gladly discard everything that Kiyoshi had taught him as a member of their clan?

Furihata was ashamed of himself. He didn't deserve to be a part of this family.

"Furihata? What happened?" Tsuchida asked, his words laced with worry. Furihata shook his head. He didn't deserve those kind words. He didn't deserve Tsuchida's concern, or anyone's for that matter.

"I'm..." he choked, struggling to swallow the lump of guilt in his throat. It hurt so badly to know that he had a hand in what might mean the destruction of his clan. "I'm so sorry..." He bowed his head as his eyes became watery.

"Furihata-san, please don't cry. And please don't blame yourself. I'm sure it's not your fault. Can you explain what happened?" Kuroko rubbed Furihata's back reassuringly.

"It _is_ my fault!" Furihata hollered, looking up at Kuroko with wet eyes. "I'm so stupid! How could I- How could I have trusted him? Him, a complete stranger! And because of me..." Furihata gripped Kuroko's shoulder, shaking him. "Because I was so goddamn blind, I let him stroll into our base, and I- I don't know what the hell that bastard did to me, but because of me..." Furihata sank to Kuroko's lap, and his volume lowered to an almost inaudible level. "I killed the guards. I let… I let Riko be captured..."

Kawahara gasped, color draining from his face. "What did you say?" He didn't meant to sound so harsh, but Furihata flinched nonetheless.

Mustering his courage, Furihata looked up. "His underlings kidnapped Riko... And everything was my fault."

For a while, no one knew what to say or how to comfort Furihata. Eventually, it was Kuroko who spoke up. "Furihata-san, what do you mean by 'what that person did to you'? What did he do?"

Furihata shook his head and rubbed away the tears. "I don't know… He just told me to do stuff, and it was like I was a robot following whatever commands that bastard gave. It was so..." Humiliating. The word hung in the air unsaid but acknowledged.

Tsuchida pursed his lips, jaws tensed. "And who's this bastard you're referring to?"

"Akashi Seijuro." Furihata practically snarled the redhead's name. If he ever got his hands on that condescending bastard, he'd pay for this.

"Akashi Seijuro? You don't mean...?"

Furihata nodded his head in confirmation. "And, I don't know why, but..." Furihata looked over at Kuroko. "Akashi was looking for you, Kuroko." Furihata took a breath. "They said that he's obsessed with you... What's your relationship with him?"

Suddenly, all the attention was drawn to Kuroko, who shake his head in confusion. "Akashi Seijuro…? I don't think I know anyone with that name. Who is he?"

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Furihata uttered as he leaned on the wall for support. "Actually," he paused, taking in a deep breath to stabilize his emotions. "Can you explain for me, Tsuchida? I don't even want to talk about that bastard right now."

Tsuchida nodded grimly. "Akashi Seijuro is part of the mafia, like us, but he's the leader of the largest clan in Japan, the Generation of Miracles. They possess a lot of influence with hundreds of other clans working for them. And for some reason, it appears that Akashi had set his sights on you. Maybe..." Tsuchida looked down and noticed the letter on the floor. "Maybe the letter will supply us with the answer."

He opened the envelope and read its contents out loud:

"'Greetings, members of Seirin. I hope my sudden visit wasn't too much of an inconvenience. Mind you, I didn't come here with the intention of having unnecessary bloodshed, but if blood was somehow shed, then the fault resides with whomever incurred my wrath...'"

 _Furihata saw red._

"'You may all be wondering why I decided to pay a visit to such a small clan. Well, first allow me to direct your attention to the check enclosed with this letter. A large sum of cash, isn't it? I am an understanding person, so I will offer an alternative: give me Tetsuya, and the debt will be eliminated. Of course, Aida Riko will be returned to Seirin for, let's say, compensation. Contemplate all you want, but remember, today was merely a greeting. You can expect another response from me at a later date. Until then, A.S.'"

"That conceited son of a bitch," Furihata spat out and punched the wall in frustration.

"A check?" Kuroko inquired, and Tsuchida grimaced.

"Yeah, and it's addressed to you." He handed the slip to Kuroko. As Kuroko scanned the check, numbers had never been more horrifying.

"3 million yen..." Kuroko whispered. "To pay off my father's debt... Is he the businessman my step-dad offended?" His hands clenched and rumpled the check.

"What should we do now?" Fukuda questioned, looking to his family for guidance.

"I'll contact Hyuga-san, and report this to him. In the meantime, check the surrounding area for any evidence against Akashi. We probably can't take it to court, but we should gather it just in case," Tsuchida instructed. He patted each of them on the back before departing, leaving the four of them behind.

"Furihata-san, can you stand?" Kuroko asked gently. Furihata waved off his concern.

"I'm fine."

Kuroko wasn't convinced, but nevertheless, he directed himself to the left side of the corridor when Furihata suddenly grabbed his sleeve. Kuroko spun around and tilted his head.

"Kuroko, I'm probably the last person you would trust now," he smiled sadly. "But listen to me when I say this. Leave the mafia world. Leave Seirin."

"I-"

"And I'm not saying that you're a burden to our clan! But God knows what Akashi's thinking. And Kuroko, he's dangerous. If possible, I'd advise you stay as far away from him as possible. Maybe you can leave town for a while."

"But if I leave, what will happen to you all?"

"We can handle it. We've weathered worse storms, after all." Furihata grinned weakly, hoping to break the serious tension with his poor attempt at humor.

Kuroko paused as a mental debate ran through his head. After a moment, Kuroko looked back up determinedly. "No. Please let me fight with everyone here. I can't just leave knowing that everyone's life would be endangered because of me."

"But-"

"And if Akashi-san is willing to have me in lieu for Riko-san, then I will gladly give myself over." Kuroko smiled softly. "Besides, it seems that I've dragged everyone else into my family problems, and for that, I deeply apologize."

"Kuroko..."

"Please let me fight for my family," Kuroko pleaded with candor.

"No regrets?" Furihata looked into his eyes for any hint of uncertainty.

He shook his head firmly. "None at all."

* * *

 **From here on, a lot of fun stuff will be coming; that means drama XD**

 **Please do let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


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